By Mark Harvey - May 4, 2022
May the Fourth is a day for Star Wars fans from all over the world to come together and show off their fandom (even more than usual). Since the release of A New Hope in 1977, there’s been no shortage of collectible items released in support of the film franchise and ever-growing subsequent additions to the universe. In 2020, Jaime Hernandez introduced a few of the coins produced by Niue, and about six months ago, Jay Turner warned of counterfeit versions of coins featuring The Child (aka Grogu) from The Mandalorian.
The availability and technology of all Star Wars collectibles have evolved since the days of sending away for figures that were not even ready for the release of the first movie, as hard as that may be to imagine today. The same can be said for numismatic offerings, which can be found in multiple shapes, sizes, metals, colors, and even depicting different eras.
The earliest releases from Niue, available in both silver $2 coins and plated dollars, date back to around the same time May the Fourth was reported to be officially organized as a celebration in 2011. That collection features the iconic duos of Luke and Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2D2, and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda — all in color. Many subsequent releases also made use of colorization and expanded beyond the original trilogy into the prequel trilogy, sequel trilogy, standalone films like Rogue One, and as we mentioned earlier, Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
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Whatever your favorite Star Wars film might be, there is likely a coin to collect for it. Courtesy of PCGS.
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Star Wars coins aren’t just limited to silver or beskar… Yes, there are “beskar” bars available in silver, more advanced collectors can also hunt down gold coins. The Niue $250 coin we see here featuring Darth Vader was limited to a mintage of 1,000 pieces. Current online auctions for some of the higher-grade examples from PCGS are in the $3,000 to $4,000 range.
This $250 gold coin is one of many Darth Vader fans can collect. Courtesy of PCGS. Click image to enlarge.
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For those that are interested in collecting by character, Vader may offer the most variety such as glow in the dark examples the New Zealand Mint produced using a ruthenium finish among others.
2019 Star Wars Darth Vader Helmet Niue $5, PCGS MS69. Courtesy of PCGS. Click image to enlarge.
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2020 Chibi Chewbacca $2, PCGS PR69DCAM. Courtesy of PCGS. Click image to enlarge.
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As we can see above, Star Wars coins come, quite literally, in all shapes and sizes. Some of the latest offerings that began in 2020 and continued into 2021 are the Chibi proof coins that portray various characters from the original trilogy all the way through The Mandalorian in the popular art style. And yes, you can even compete on the PCGS Set Registry for the top set of these $2 proof coins.
No matter what film, show, character, or ideology has your allegiance, there is a way, pun very much intended, to add coins to your Star Wars collection. Good luck in your search, and May the Fourth be with you… Always.
Article provided by PCGS at www.pcgs.com