Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Tiny Island to Mint Star Wars Currency

Luke, Yoda will be on legal tender for first time

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 11, 2011 4:24 PM CDT

(Newser) – Move over, Queen Elizabeth: Luke Skywalker and friends will soon be sharing a spot on the currency of a tiny Pacific island. Yoda, Leia, and Darth Vader also will appear on the flip side of the soon-to-be-minted coins for the island of Niue. It’s the first time Star Wars characters will show up on legal tender, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Though the country uses New Zealand currency, the coins will be usable only in Niue.

And don’t expect them to see much use even on the island: They're geared toward collectors, and some of the two-dollar coins will have an actual value of about $100 because they're made with silver. Others will be made of less expensive silver-plated metal. Still, "no one is going to go buy an ice cream with them,” says a rep for the New Zealand mint. The coins will be displayed next week at a coin show in Chicago, and new ones will be added until 2014.

Luke Skywalker and Yoda in "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back." (AP Photo/Lucasfilm Ltd)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

17%

64%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Canada Phasing Out Pennies

Coin has become a nuisance: government

(NEWSER) - The Canadian government has decided to save millions of dollars by pinching the penny out of existence. The Royal Canadian Mint—which makes 25 pennies per Canadian every year, at a cost of 1.5 cents per coin—will stop producing pennies next month, and the government will start withdrawing pennies from circulation this fall, reports the Globe and Mail . The government estimates the move will save it $11 million per year, and save the private sector many millions more in counting and transportation costs. More»

Darth Vader Demands Ukrainian Parking Spot

Says local government has gone to dark side

(NEWSER) - Darth Vader showed up at a Ukrainian city hall this week: “I have come for a land plot...for my space cruiser,” the costumed man told Odessa officials. It wasn't so much a joke as a protest: The city recently decided to provide a number of people with free seaside plots of land, Reuters reports; though the mayor says the decision was a mistake, locals think it smacks of corruption. More»

New Garmin GPS Voices: Yoda, Vader

'Star Wars' sound effects, music included too

(NEWSER) - Good news for those of you who are sick of the generic voice dictating directions from your Garmin GPS: Now you can have Yoda or Darth Vader order you around instead. The Star Wars voices can be downloaded for $12.99 each on Garmin's website , and the best part is that they stay true to the characters. A sample Yoda line: "Right you should turn, then sharp left ... control, control, if a Jedi you wish to be." Vader, on the other hand, will say things like, "Proceed as indicated. Don't make me destroy you." (Naturally, his trademark heavy breathing is also included, notes the Los Angeles Times .) More»

Stewart: Obama Is Luke Skywalker

And he's fighting the Republic...an Empire

(NEWSER) - Before its hiatus, the Daily Show was mocking Obama and the Democrats—but a lot has changed in two weeks. Jobless benefits, the 9/11 first responders bill, and the DADT repeal, to name a few. Does this make the president, as all the media insist on calling him, “the comeback kid”? Absolutely not, said Jon Stewart last night: “Obama’s not the comeback kid … he’s Luke Skywalker!” More»

Darth Vader Robs Bank

Star Wars baddie sought after Long Island heist

(NEWSER) - Darth Vader, apparently fallen on hard times, is being sought for a bank robbery. Police say the Empire bigwig threatened a bank teller and forced a customer to the floor before fleeing with cash, the New York Daily News reports. Because the robber carried a gun instead of a light saber, wore camouflage pants with his mask and cape, and because Setauket is a long way from any known Death Star, investigators suspect an impostor. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Tiny Island to Mint Star Wars Currency

Luke, Yoda will be on legal tender for first time

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

currency • Queen Elizabeth II • New Zealand • Darth Vader • Star Wars • coins • Luke Skywalker

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Canada Phasing Out Pennies

Coin has become a nuisance: government

Darth Vader Demands Ukrainian Parking Spot

Says local government has gone to dark side

New Garmin GPS Voices: Yoda, Vader

'Star Wars' sound effects, music included too

Stewart: Obama Is Luke Skywalker

And he's fighting the Republic...an Empire

Darth Vader Robs Bank

Star Wars baddie sought after Long Island heist

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?