2017-03-01 Wed

The first $2 coin belonging to an 8-year annual series named Solar System silver-niobium ringed-bimetallic coins from Palau features the planet Saturn. A coin depicting one planet per year will be released.

The reverse of the 2017 coin depicts the second-largest planet in the solar system - Saturn tilted towards the right. The yellow colour of the treated niobium core does not cover the entire image of the planet. Saturn is a gas giant whose radius is almost about nine times that of Earth. But its average density is one-eighth of Earth. The planet is also called as the Roman god of agriculture.

The ring system is made of nine continuous main rings and three incomplete arcs. Ice particles, rocky debris and dust make up the ring. Apart from the hundreds of moonlets in the ring, Saturn has 62 moons and 53 are officially named. Titan is its largest moon and also the second-largest in the solar system. Unlike any other satellite of the solar system, Titan has a big atmosphere.

The common obverse design for the series features the planets in the solar system. The mintage limit of the Proof ringed-bimetallic silver-niobium $2 coin with a ring of .999 fine silver and a centre of .998 fine, pure yellow niobium is 3,000 pieces and each coin costs $109.90.