Cult sci-fi show Doctor Who first hit TV screens 50 years ago, and the New Zealand Mint is producing a special range of coins to mark the milestone.
Eleven of the coins, which will be legal tender in Niue, will feature images of the 11 Time Lords to date – from the original Doctor from 1963 – William Hartnell – to Matt Smith.
The 12th coin will be engraved with an image of the Tardis, and come in a special Tardis-shaped box which when opened, will play the iconic Doctor Who theme.
"We were really excited that we got approached by the BBC to mint a 50th anniversary Doctor Who coin," NZ Mint chief executive Simon Harding told Firstline this morning.
"It'll be available from March," says Mr Harding, "and in fact, people are pre-buying it on our website right now."
The Tardis coin will be revealed in Berlin at the World Money Fair. Mr Harding didn't have one to flaunt for the camera, because the coins are currently "hidden away in a vault in Berlin".
If you're a fan of the time-travelling, shape-shifting alien, nabbing a Tardis coin will set you back $155 – and Mr Harding's advice is not to spend it. Its value – much like the Tardis – is much bigger on the inside than the out.
"It's worth $2 in Niue if you choose to spend it, so I wouldn't advise that as an investment."
But you'd better get in fast, as only 10,000 will be made before the run is – if you'll excuse the pun – exterminated.
"So come what may, you cannot buy more than 10,000 of these coins," says Mr Harding, "and we're quietly optimistic that there won't be too many left later in the year."
The 11 coins featuring each of the Doctors will be released later in the year.
New Zealand was the first country outside of the UK to screen Doctor Who, with broadcasts beginning in September 1964.
3 News
source: newshub archive
