Custom coin minting question

I am wondering if it is possible to hire a minting company like Pobjoy Mint to make a custom coin, but using a country's name (Niue) and have a real denomination. Who has the authority to do that? If not through a mint, how else?

Thanks, nthn

Quote: "nthn"​I am wondering if it is possible to hire a minting company like Pobjoy Mint to make a custom coin, but using a country's name (Niue) and have a real denomination. Who has the authority to do that? If not through a mint, how else?
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​Thanks, nthn

​Hmmm.......You could at least mint somewhat like tokens and coins but if you want, you can take permission from the mint. They would permit you. But if they don't, you still can mint, but for some business purpose and it's certain.
Kind Regards!!!

You could in theory hire a private mint to produce anything given enough funds. Ethics don't seem to be their strong suit. It does get more complicated though when you try to add a denomination and a country to the pseudo coin. You can do it, but only under some kind of licencing agreement.

Many people think it all started with Liberia but what about those Lundy Puffins eh?

A safer bet would be to choose a well known but defunct country, safely consigned to history's dustbin. I notice that a lot of this "retro pattern" junk uses such countries such as Rhodesia, probably because they don't need a licence and even if you did, there's no government to object.

It's not a path I'd recommend you go down though for two reasons - A} every numismatists in the world will hate you, and B} it's a legal minefield. Say you choose the Soviet Union or Rhodesia..... their assets and boundaries were inherited by respectively, the Russian Federation and Zimbabwe. One day they are going to wake up to the fact that companies are making money using their property and start a few lawsuits.

Oh, I definitely mean legally. I would not like to use a defunct country, I would really like to make a legal coin.

Liberia is the place to start searching, they were the first country to permit a private mint to produce coins on their behalf on a large scale. It's quite an interesting story and a great window into the greed and cynicism infecting numismatics. I can't recall much of it, particular how much cash actually changed hands but what I do remember is that their avarice backfired on them. Because the economy had shrunk in value due to epic mismanagement and corruption it became possible to buy up these "collectors coins" overseas and import them into local commerce at a hefty profit until they managed to scramble to demonetize them.

I'd guess that the days of persuading some third world shithole into surrendering a large part of their sovereignty for a quick buck are over and they're going to want a lot of up front cash, AKA bribes. I guess you might persuade one to accept some kind of profit sharing licence but those who have done so in the past, Lundy Puffins I think, were already well established dealers with a large distribution network to bring to the table. Tinpot 3rd world dictators might still be dumb as a box of rocks but these days they are just smart enough to hire legal expertise to negotiate on their behalf.

There's a lot to be said for 21st century tribalism, it's my bet for where society is currently heading. I'm betting there will be plenty of Len & Shirl pseudo countries spring up over the next decade or so. Maybe you can find the next Hutt River seeking legitimacy through coinage.