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2023 Palau, S$20, Charon, Ferryman of the Dead
The obverse of the coin reports the image of Charon, portrait, while strictly abiding by the rules of the underworld. He is said to demand payment for his services, and will only ferry those who have been properly buried and have placed a coin in their mouths to pay the toll.
On the reverse of the coin, the Coat of Arms of Palau, along with the inscriptions: "REPUBLIC OF PALAU" - the issuing country and "20$" - the face value.
Charon, who resided in the Greek Underworld, was burdened with the duty of being the ferryman of the dead, crossing the newly departed over the river Acheron. To secure passage, the deceased had to pay Charon’s fee, such as an obolos or Persian denace, which ensured that proper funeral rites had been performed. Those unable to pay would haunt Acheron’s banks for a century as ghosts.
Although commonly linked to the River Styx, Charon’s task primarily pertained to the river Acheron. The association with the Styx, leading to Hades’ realm, was a later addition to the myth, as it was the most famous river of the Greek underworld.
Palau
Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean. Koror Island is home to the former capital, also named Koror, and is the islands’ commercial center. The larger Babeldaob has the present capital, Ngerulmud, plus mountains and sandy beaches on its east coast. In its north, ancient basalt monoliths known as Badrulchau lie in grassy fields surrounded by palm trees. ― Google
Capital: Ngerulmud
Official languages: Palauan, English
Continent: Oceania
Government: Republic, Representative democracy, Unitary state, Presidential system, Non-partisan democracy
Population: 18,024 (2021) World Bank
Currency: United States Dollar
Area: 177 mi²
Photos taken with Nikon D3300 DSL Camera with attached AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G lens. Adobe Photoshop Elements used to fix any digital artifacts.