Tirupati Balaji goes global with coins from Palau

Reflecting the global popularity of Tirupati Balaji, the government of Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, is issuing a limited collectors’ edition coin dedicated to the deity.

The silver coins, studded with Swarovski crystals and a small diamond, are minted in the German Mint and will be sold in Kolkata from Wednesday, said numismatist Alok K Goyal, a software consultant, who is the authorized marketer and designer of the coins.

The Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, Tirupati, in Andhra Pradesh, is visited by millions of devotees every year.

The Palau government is issuing only 1,111 pieces — each priced at Rs. 11,111 — in 1-ounce specification. Another 511 have been minted in 3 ounces, embedded with six Swarovski elements besides a diamond. The coins, with a face value of $5 and $20, will be ready for delivery from the auspicious day of Chaitra Purnima, which falls on April 16.

Mr. Goyal’s AG Impex has tied up with a European company, Coin Invest Trust, to market the coins, which will be cased into specially designed boxes in the shape of small temples with LED lights inside.