One of just 1,000 ever struck. 1 troy oz of .999 fine rhodium, produced by Baird & Co of London and issued by Tuvalu in 2018 as $100 legal tender. The South Sea Dragon is one of very few rhodium coins in existence. Priced live, shipped fully insured.
Buy the 1 oz Rhodium Tuvalu South Sea Dragon — one of only 1,000 coins struck, and one of the very few rhodium bullion coins ever issued anywhere in the world. Baird & Co of London produced it in 2018 from .999 fine rhodium, and Tuvalu issued it as legal tender with a $100 face value. If you have been looking to buy a rhodium coin rather than a bar, this is one of a tiny handful of options that has ever existed.
Coin Specifications
- Metal – 1 troy oz (31.1035 g) of .999 fine rhodium.
- Producer – Baird & Co, London.
- Issuer – Tuvalu, $100 face value.
- Year of issue – 2018.
- Mintage – 1,000 coins.
- Obverse – Queen Elizabeth II, Ian Rank-Broadley effigy.
- Reverse – the South Sea Dragon on a mirrored field.
Why Rhodium Coins Are So Rare
Gold and silver are soft enough to take a die cleanly. Rhodium is not. It melts at 1,964°C (3,567°F) — higher than platinum — and stays hard and brittle at room temperature, so it resists the striking process that turns a blank into a coin. That is why the world has thousands of gold and silver coin issues and barely a handful of rhodium ones. Every rhodium coin for sale anywhere traces back to a mint willing to solve that problem, and Baird & Co is one of the few that did.
The metal itself is scarcer than the minting. Rhodium is recovered as a by-product of platinum and palladium mining, overwhelmingly in South Africa, and annual global production is a small fraction of gold’s. Roughly four-fifths of it is consumed by catalytic converters and never returns to the investment market at all.
The South Sea Dragon Design
The reverse carries a detailed South Sea Dragon set against a mirrored field, which suits rhodium unusually well: the metal is the most reflective of the precious metals and holds a bright white finish without tarnishing. The obverse carries the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II alongside the Tuvalu denomination, weight and fineness.
Rhodium Coin, Bar or Sponge?
This 1 oz rhodium coin prices above rhodium bars or rhodium sponge of identical weight, and the mintage is the reason. With 1,000 pieces the supply is fixed and long since sold through, so what you are buying is scarcity on top of metal.
- Buy the coin if you want the rarest form the metal comes in and a piece with collector appeal.
- Buy a bar if you want serial-numbered metal that is straightforward for the next buyer to verify.
- Buy sponge if you simply want the most rhodium per dollar.
Buying Rhodium from Dave & Co Metals
Every rhodium listing is priced live against the market rather than held at a fixed rate, so you see the current number before checkout. Orders ship fast, discreet and fully insured, tracked to your door. When you want to exit, we buy rhodium back through our Sell to Us page. You can browse the rest of our rhodium coins or the full rhodium range at any time.
Before You Buy
Two things worth knowing. Rhodium is not IRA-eligible in any form — the IRS approves only gold, silver, platinum and palladium for precious metals IRAs. And rhodium trades far more thinly than gold or silver, which means wider spreads and sharper price swings in both directions. It is a small, volatile market, and that cuts both ways.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many South Sea Dragon rhodium coins were made?
1,000. Baird & Co struck the issue in 2018 and it has not been repeated.
Is the Tuvalu South Sea Dragon legal tender?
Yes, with a face value of $100 Tuvaluan dollars. Its real value comes from the rhodium content, which is worth many times the face value.
How pure is this rhodium coin?
.999 fine rhodium, containing one full troy ounce of the metal.
Can I hold a rhodium coin in an IRA?
No. The IRS approves only gold, silver, platinum and palladium for precious metals IRAs, so rhodium is excluded in coin, bar and sponge form alike.
Is rhodium easy to sell again?
Less easily than gold or silver. The rhodium market is small and thinly traded, so spreads are wider. We buy rhodium back directly, which is the simplest route for most holders.
How should I store a rhodium coin?
Keep it sealed in its capsule, somewhere cool and dry. Rhodium does not tarnish, but handling a bullion coin marks the surface and takes value off it.