Silver Ounce 2018 Alligator Bite, Coin from Palau - detailed information

The Republic of Palau is an island country in the western Pacific, in free association with the United States. In one way or another, the country has been under US administration since it was established, and has never had its own separate currency - it has always used the US Dollar. However, Palau allows some foreign mints to issue coins under its authority; these are denominated in US Dollars but are only legal tender in Palau, so can in a way be considered to be in "Palau Dollars", even though such a currency does not officially exist.

The coins are usually dedicated to historical or general popular culture themes not related to the country itself. Many of them are in standard bullion sizes, including the internationally popular one troy ounce of silver.

The Mint says about this coin:
After the huge success of the innovative shark bite coin in 2017, the series now continues with the alligator in 2018. A unique coin again in 1oz .999 pure silver. Partly deformed (using smartminting) of the bite mark.

An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. The two living species are the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis). In addition, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Alligators first appeared during the Paleocene epoch about 66 million years ago. The name alligator is probably an anglicised form of el lagarto, the Spanish term for the lizard, which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator. Later English spellings of the name included allagarta and alagarto.