Palau Pacific Wildlife Barn Swallow, Angelfish, Gecko $1 2009 3 Prism Coin Set Case

Great set of three One Dollar Proof Legal Tender coins issued under authority of the Governemnt of Palau in 2009. The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is common worldwide. It spends its breeding season in the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. For hibernation it flies thousands of miles to the south. The Barn Swallow distinguishes itself from other swallows by its eye-catching long outer tail feathers, its chestnut-brown throat and the brownish colored belly feathers. As the name already implies it prefers to build its nest in barns. The swallow is a springtime messenger that stands for good fortune and fertility. Tattoo artists depicted Barn Swallows to represent long voyages and happy homecomings. The Flagfin Angelfish (Apolemichthys trimaculatus) distinguishes itself by its intensive yellow body coloring and its eye-catching intense blue colored mouth. It lives mostly in pairs in the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and feeds on sponges and small crabs. Because of its attractive appearance this six to twelve inch fish is a very popular guest in aquariums around the world. Interestingly, the Flagfin Angelfish is capable of developing its sex after birth. Probably it possesses the ability to adapt itself to the number of the already existing fish of the same sex in its environment. The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) belongs to the order of Squamata. Its natural habitat is on cliffs and in Southeast Asian rain forests. Fully-grown it attains a length of about fifteen inches. The nocturnal Tokay has its name from the male’s distinctive and often very loud cries. This sounds like “to-kay” or “ge-cko”. Due to the lamellar structure on its fingers and toes the Tokay has, as many other Saurian’s, the ability to climb up trees, walls and even up window panes vertically. In Asia the Tokay is believed to be a lucky charm and a fertility symbol. The coins have been struck using state-of-the-art prism coining technology, creating a very interesting shift in the colors as the light hits them from different angles.