WTF? Why is Libera putting out a John F. Kennedy Jr. ten dollar coin? I just saw this offer on TV? Wasn’t John a USA resident? Did you suppose the family gave them permission or does being dead put you in the public domain? Just curious.
Nations all over the world put whoever they want on their coins and stamps, even living people. I don’t know if Liberia consulted the family or not in this case, but what could they do about it if they didn’t?
I did laugh when it dawned on me that although expressly described as legal tender, this means it’s legal tender in Liberia but certainly not in the US. It seems it’d be worth about US$25.
It seems it’d be worth about US$25.
25 Cents or dollars?
1 Liberian Dollar (LRD) = 2.3527 US Dollar (USD)
This kind of issue is a continuation of coins which were “invented” by The Franklin Mint back in the late 1960’s. They talked quite a few Third World countries into issuing “Legal Tender” coins, which the Franklin Mint then sold to “investors/collectors” at stupid prices, based on their “face value”.
We buy these back every day in our coin shop. A typical purchase by us on coins bought during the 1970’s amounts to 10-20 cents on the dollar. Sometimes as high as 50 cents on the dollar.
This kind of scam goes on today from such countries as the Marshall Islands. A $50 legal tender coin from the Marshall Islands we pay about $7-10. Most of these countries come up with “after-the-fact” qualifications to keep you from redeeming their coins.