Palau
 
 
                      1543  Discovered by the Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos. 
               11 Dec 1710  Rediscovered by and claimed for Spain by Francisco de Padilla
                            (Islas Palaos).
 10 Aug 1783 - 12 Nov 1783  British Capt. Henry Wilson and crew of Antelope are
                            shipwrecked on Palau.
                      1874  Spain reasserts its claim to the islands, no settlement. 
                  Aug 1885  Claimed by Germany.
                      1886  Spanish possession confirmed by Papal arbitration of
                            Pope Leo XIII.
               12 Oct 1899  Part of German New Guinea (under Papua New Guinea).
               08 Oct 1914  Japanese occupation (under Marshall Islands till 28 Dec 1914).
               17 Dec 1920  League of Nations mandate (South Seas Islands) under Japan.
                  Jul 1921  Japanese transfer civil administration from Chuuk to Koror,
                            Palau.
               01 Apr 1922  South Seas Agency (Nan'yo Cho) created (includes Marshall,
                            Palau, Caroline [Micronesia] and Northern Mariana islands).
               27 Mar 1933  Japan withdraws from the League of Nations.
                      1935  Japan declares that the mandated islands are an "integral
                            part of the Japanese Empire."
      15 Sep - 10 Oct 1944  U.S. occupation.
               18 Jul 1947  Japanese mandate formally revoked; part of the UN Trust
                            Territory of the Pacific Islands under Micronesia. 
               01 Jan 1981  Republic of Palau
               10 Jul 1987  Trust territory dissolved; Palau remains trusteeship under
                            the administrative responsibility of the U.S. Interior Dept.
               01 Oct 1994  Independence from U.S.
 
The Republic of Palau (Palauan: Beluu er a Belau), is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles (800 km) east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles (3,200 km) south of Tokyo. Having emerged from United Nations trusteeship (administered by the United States) in 1994, it is one of the world's youngest and smallest sovereign states. Capital: Melekeok.

Historians take note of the early navigational routes of European explorers in the Pacific. There is disagreement as to whether Spaniard Ruy López de Villalobos, who landed in several Caroline Islands, spotted the Palau archipelago in 1543. No conclusive evidence exists, but some believe he could have seen the tip of a southernmost island in the group.

Palau had limited relations before the 18th century, mainly with Yap and Java. Had it not been for shipwrecked islanders who took refuge in the Philippines, Europeans likely would not have found Palau until much later. Englishman Henry Wilson, captain of the East India Company's packet Antelope, was shipwrecked off the island of Ulong in 1783.
In the late 19th century, possession of the islands was claimed by Britain, Spain, and Imperial Germany. In 1885, the matter was brought to Pope Leo XIII for a decision. The Pope recognized the Spanish claim, but granted economic concessions to Britain and Germany. Palau then became part of the Spanish East Indies, along with the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands and the Marshall Islands. They were all administered from the Philippines.
After being defeated in 1898 in the Spanish-American War and losing possession of the Philippine Islands, Spain sold the Palau archipelago to Imperial Germany in the 1899 German-Spanish Treaty.
Palau was administered from German New Guinea, and a period of economic development began. German engineers began exploiting the islands' deposits of bauxite and phosphate, and a rich harvest in copra was made. The German period lasted only 15 years.
Under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the Empire of Japan declared war on the German Empire in 1914 and invaded German overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean. Palau was seized by ships of the Japanese navy. After the war, the League of Nations awarded Palau to Japan as a Class C League of Nations Mandate.
The Japanese presence made Palau a major target for the Allied forces in World War II. Peleliu was a scene of intense fighting between American and Japanese forces in 1944. The battle ended in an Allied victory, but at a high cost for both sides.
In 1947, the United Nations decided the United States would administer Palau as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. In 1979, Palauans voted against joining the Federated States of Micronesia because of language and cultural differences. In 1980 they became internally self-governing and independent. Control over foreign policy,
except defense, was approved in 1986. After a long period of transition, including the violent deaths of two presidents (Haruo Remeliik in 1985 and Lazarus Salii in 1988), Palau voted in 1994 to freely associate with the United States while retaining independence under the Compact of Free Association. Got independence on 01 Oct 1994 from U.S. So far no political parties exists. Territorial disputes on maritime delineation negotiations continue with Philippines and Indonesia.
 
Currency: U.S. Dollar is used in Palau. Palau despite that issues some coins almost every year since 1992 for collection purpose.
 
KM#1 1 Dollar. Year: 1992. Weight: 26.80g. Metal: Copper-Nickel with multicolor design. Diameter: 37.2 mm. Edge: Reeded. Alignment: Medal. Mint: N/A. Obverse: Sailboat, mermaid and value within beaded circle. Reverse: under water creatures. Mintage: 50,000 (estimated). Minted Years: One year type. Subject: Year of Marine Life Protection.

KM#25 1 Dollar. Year: 1998. Weight: 26.80g. Metal: Copper-Nickel with multicolor design. Diameter: 37.2 mm. Edge: Reeded. Alignment: Medal. Mint: N/A. Obverse: Two mermaid. Reverse: High-relief dolphin. Mintage: 13,000. Minted Years: One year type. Subject: Marine Life Protection.

KM#72 1 Dollar. Year: 2004. Weight: 26.80g. Metal: Copper-Nickel with multicolor design. Diameter: 37.2 mm. Edge: Reeded. Alignment: Medal. Mint: N/A. Obverse: Mermaid flanked by dolphins. Reverse: Dolphin head coming out from water. Mintage: N/A. Minted Years: One year type. Subject: Marine Life Protection.
 
 
Brief history with Palau rulers:
 
  • Spain...................................................1886 - 12 Oct 1899
  • Germany..........................................12 Oct 1899 - 08 Oct 1914
  • Japan............................................08 Oct 1914 - 1945
  • Administrated by U.S. Navy..............................1945 - 18 Jul 1947
  • U.N. Trust Territory with U.S Administration.....18 Jul 1947 - 01 Oct 1994
    •
  • Under Micronesia till 03 Nov 1986.
  • Director of the Palau Office of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
    •
  • Victor Hobson, Jr................................13 Dec 1990 - 24 Oct 1994
  • Presidents
  • Ngirngetpak Tosiwo Nakamura (acting).............01 Jan 1981 - 02 Mar 1981
  • Speaker of the Legislature.
  • Haruo Ignacio Remeliik...........................02 Mar 1981 - 30 Jun 1985
  • He served as the first President of Palau until his assassination on 30 June 1985.
  • Thomas Ongelibel Remengesau (acting - 1st time)..30 Jun 1985 - 02 Jul 1985
  • He is also known as Thomas Remengesau, Senior (born c. 1931). He was Vice President of Palau twice (1985-1988 and 1993-2001), and acting President of Palau twice (1985 and 1988-1989), following the violent deaths of two presidents. His son Tommy Remengesau was the 6th President of Palau (2001–2009).
  • Alfonso Rebochong Oiterong.......................02 Jul 1985 - 25 Oct 1985
  • Lazarus Eitaro Salii.............................25 Oct 1985 - 20 Aug 1988
  • He served as the third President of Palau until he committed suicide by shooting on 20 August 1988, amid bribery allegations.
  • Thomas Ongelibel Remengesau (acting - 2nd time)..20 Aug 1988 - 31 Dec 1988
  • Ngiratkel Etpison................................01 Jan 1989 - 31 Dec 1992
  • He founded the NECO group of companies in 1945. He started by using a Japanese scrapped generator to make ice candy, later becoming one of the prominent businessmen of Palau. He started the first tourist and sightseeing business in the 1970s, and in 1984 opened Palau Pacific Resort, Palau's most luxurious beach resort.
  • Kuniwo Nakamura..................................01 Jan 1993 - 31 Dec 2000
  • He was the President and foreign minister of Palau from 1993 until 2001. He served two terms, being reelected in 1996 by a 62%-38% margin over Traditional chief Ibedul Yutaka Gibbons.
    • He died on 14 October 2020.
  • Thomas "Tommy" Esang Remengesau, Jr (1st time)...01 Jan 2001 - 15 Dec 2009
  • Johnson Toribiong................................15 Jan 2009 - 17 Jan 2013
  • He is a former ambassador of Palau to the Republic of China (Taiwan).
  • Thomas "Tommy" Esang Remengesau, Jr (2nd time)...17 Jan 2013 - date
  • On 22 September 2020, in presidential primary elections, Surangel Whipps, Jr., wins about 46% of the vote, Raynold Oilouch about 26%, Johnson Toribiong about 15%, and Alan Seid about 13%. Turnout is about 31%. Whipps and Oilouch will contest the general election on 03 November 2020.
Traditional chiefs of Palau: Palau is divided into two regions, Eoueldaob and Babeldaob (Babelthuap; dominated by one big island). The highest chief in Eoueldaob (and in his own estimation in all Palau) is the Ibedul (Idid dynasty), the chief of Oreor (Koror) (ritual name Ngerekldeu); the highest chief in Babeldoab is the Reklai (Udes dynasty), the chief of Melekeok (ritual name Ngetelngal), following an earlier line of chiefs with the style Tmekei.
 
 
 
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Chiefa Coins