Posted on 12/03/2005 11:00:18 AM PST by presidio9
Hello Kitty, the mouthless cat turned global icon of cuteness, will make a foray into the currency market with gold and silver euro coins showing her having the time of her life in Paris.
Order-taking will start Monday for a total of 4,000 coins in five different designs to be minted in Paris, according to Hello Kitty's maker Sanrio and Japanese firm Taisei Coins.
The designs are drawn on "the dreams and admiration for Paris that Kitty has," Sanrio said on its website.
The most expensive one-ounce gold coin is priced at 168,000 yen (1,400 dollars, 1,200 euros) each, compared with a face value of 50 euros.
The coin has a color image of Kitty in a ballroom gown dancing with her boyfriend Daniel in their "Versailles Debut."
A smaller gold coin, priced at 52,500 yen, is titled "Kitty Becomes an Opera Singer" and shows the feline heroine in a black floor-length dress.
Three types of silver coins, each priced at 8,400 yen, are also on sale, featuring Kittys taking in a Parisian cafe, flying over the city with an umbrella and shopping on the Champs-Elysees.
The coins, each fit in a special miniature handbag, can be purchased at Taisei coin shops in Japan or through the two companies' websites.
Hello Kitty, which started in 1974 in Japan as a moonfaced cartoon cat on a coin purse, has spread to 60 nations appearing on 50,000 different products.
Ohmigosh, I love Hello Kitty. I wish I could have one of these. How much is 50 Euros in real money?
"Coins are [at least in theory] legal tender, to be bounced around in purses, pockets and cash registers."
I saw a man at Quik Check the other day, he would not give the cashier a certain nickle. He said it was his 1945 nickle. He just had it in a great handful of change. I thought he was foolish, and would surely spend it someday, by mistake.
I am not knowledgeable - is there anything special about 1945 nickels? It's not like gold coins withdrawn from circulation and melted down.
I have a 1942 and 1943 wartime nickel (40% silver), some 1943 steel pennies and even a 1907 nickel amd a 1906 bronze indian cent and others- but I'm not foolish enough to keep them in with all my other change; they're individually bagged and labeled.
He'll spend it - accidently - for sure.
Worth about 30 bucks.
ping
And the kitties are waving a white flag...
"...is there anything special about 1945 nickels?"
Other than that it's old, I have no idea. (See anti-lib's post #26) I've got some old pennies and dimes and nickles too, buffalo heads, hanging around. Oops, I guess it's Indian head nickles, the buffalo is on the reverse, obverse, what ever.
You try to hang on to these things, but mostly you fail; then the lucky few end up on Antiques Roadshow with a coin, or some other object, worth thousands!
OK, we need to put out a Homer Simpson coin. We can't let the EUs top us.
Kitties go out to the parking lot after a big night in Paris and find their kitty car in flames.
As of Friday, 1 Euro =$1.170531. Costs about $58.53.
All right, Homer coin! I should have had more faith in the US. Them EUs and Japanese are way behind, I guess. I'm sure these are going to be way more valuable than the stupid kitty.
Not half as cool as my Alf pog. Remember Alf? Well he's back! In pog form.
Disclaimer on package.
We need a solid gold Alf, too.
Japan * ping * (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
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