Tirupati January 20, 2014: Reflecting the global popularity ofTirupatiBalaji, the government of Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, is issuing a limited collectors' edition coin dedicated to the deity. 

Studded with Swarovski crystals and a small diamond, the silver coins are minted in German Mint and would be sold in Kolkata from Wednesday, said numismatist Alok K Goyal, the authorised marketer of these coins. 

The TirumalaVenkateswara Temple, popularly known as TirupatiBalaji, in Andhra Pradesh is visited by millions of devotees annually. It would be for the first time that a foreign country is issuing coins on the Hindu deity. 

Although issued by the government of Palau, the design for the coin is done by Goyal, a softwareconsultant by profession. 

Priced at Rs 11,111 each, Palau is issuing only 1,111 pieces of the coin in 1 ounce specification. Another 511 coins have been minted in 3 ounce which is embedded with six Swarovski elements besides a diamond. 

The face value of these commemorative currency coins would be $5 and $20 and would be ready for delivery from April 16 on the auspicious day of ChaitraPurnima, said Goyal. 

The coins will be cased into specially designed boxes in the shape of small temples with LED lights inside, he said. 

Goyal's A G Impex has tied up with a European company 'Coin Invest Trust' to market unusual coins globally.