The newest release from the New Zealand Mint's Classic Star Wars series pays tribute to Princess Leia Organa on three silver and gold pieces that fits in with the rest of the series quite nicely.
Princess Leia Organa 2016 1oz Silver Coin Reverse, Classic Star Wars Series
The beautiful Princess Leia Organa is a symbol of diplomacy, strength, and hope within the Rebel Alliance. While serving as the youngest member of the imperial Senate, Princess Leia secretly leads the struggling Rebellion in their mission to overthrow the Galactic Empire.
After being captured and forced to witness the destruction of her homeworld, Leia continues to place her dedication to the Alliance above her own personal needs and safety. She makes a new family within the Rebellion and with her rescuers, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Soon, the Princess develops feelings for Han and begins to display a tender warmth previously hidden beneath her brave exterior.
During the Battle of Endor, the Princess discovers Luke to be her twin brother, separated at birth to protect them from their father, the villainous Darth Vader. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi had placed them in hiding because he knew that if Vader's offspring were allowed to realize their latent Force abilities, they would be the only hope in returning peace and order to the galaxy. Through this realized potential and strong resolve, Leia helps the Rebellion succeed in bringing the Empire's tyranny to an end.
Princess Leia Organa 2016 1oz Gold Coin Reverse, Classic Star Wars Series
The reverse design is taken directly from a scene from the original Movie where Princess Leia is busy hiding the plans for the Death Star in R2-D2, who was himself featured on the previous release in the series. The coins feature a clean and crisp design with the only text that appears on the reverse being hidden discreetly along the rim. “1oz 999 Fine Silver © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd.” can be found upon closer inspection to the left.
The obverse is your standard design found on virtually all New Zealand Mint collectors coins, featuring the Ian Tank-Broadley effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Classic Star Wars Series Gold $250 Coin Obverse
The Princess Leia release features three coins in total, which has been the standard ever since the Han Solo coins. Firstly we have a 1oz pure silver(.999 Fineness) that measures 40mm(1.5478 inch) with a total limited mintage of 10 000 coins. The silver coin is issued as a legal tender $2 coin under the authority of Niue for 2016. The coin is issued in a themed black display case shipped inside a printed vanity cover with a certificate of authenticity.
Princess Leia Organa 2016 1oz Silver Coin, Classic Star Wars Series
The second coin is a 1/4oz gold coin denominated as a $25 piece. The ¼ oz gold coin measures 22mm(0.8661 inch) and has a worldwide limited mintage of 1000 coins. Both gold coins are issued in a display case very similar to the silver coin, but here the matte black is replaced with a warmer wood grain case.
The last coin is the 1oz fine gold(.9999 Fineness) coin. This lovely piece measures 32mm(1.2598 Inch) and has a limited mintage of only 500 coins. As with the previous coins in the series he 1oz gold coin is denominated as a $250 coin under the authority of Niue.
Princess Leia Organa 2016 1/4oz Gold Coin, Classic Star Wars Series
All of the coins, along with the previous issues like the Yoda coins, are available for order directly from the New Zealand Mint's website. All of the coins, including the Darth Vader coins which are sold out at the mint, can also be obtained through your trusted international coin dealer – should you prefer. Upon launch the 1oz silver Princess Leia coin is available for US$85.00 each. The 1/4oz and 1oz Princess Leia coins are being released for US$600.00 and US$2500.00 each respectively.
