AUCKLAND. The tiny Pacific nation of Niue is set to have Luke Skywalker emblazoned on its coins, but the money will be too valuable to spend.

Star Wars, the legendary film series, will soon make its first appearance on legal tender.

But the 2000 residents of Niue, which uses New Zealand currency, will be the only people allowed to use the $NZ2 coin as legitimate money. With an actual value of more than $A100, and made of silver worth $A40 alone, the coins are unlikely to be seen at the local shops.

The coins feature images of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader and other Star Wars characters.

The heavily aid-dependent nation will get an undisclosed royalty payment from New Zealand Mint for its involvement in the project. The set will retail for about $A450 and is expected to be hugely popular with both coin collectors and Star Wars devotees worldwide.