The small Polynesian island nation of Tuvalu issues coins in dollars and cents. Tuvalu dollars are, technically, Australian dollars; though Tuvalu designs and uses its own coins, Australian coins circulate alongside them and both are legal tender and equal in value and the currencies are considered the same. Tuvalu has issued its own coins since 1976.
The Tuvaluan head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, and she appears on all Tuvalu coins that circulate among the general population. Several Tuvalu coins with a face value over one dollar have been issued, and these special commemorative coins and silver and gold proofs are popular with collectors due to their striking designs.
Denominations of Tuvalu coins
There have been only a small number of different face values on Tuvalu coins:
Cent coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50
Dollar coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100
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Coins of one dollar and under are meant for general circulation, while those over one dollar are collectors’ pieces, most in silver or gold. (Note that despite conflicting information sometimes seen online, Tuvalu has indeed issued $2 coins — a pair of silver proofs in 1996 and 1997 honoring the Atlanta Olympics and Queen Elizabeth II receiving an honorary degree, respectively.)
Tuvaluan collectible proof coins are often colorized, sometimes quite dramatically and with exquisite beauty and taste, for the buyers’ market, and may be purchased not only as collectibles but for nice display pieces.
