Image caption The coins will be issued in November

Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Yoda are among Star Wars characters who will appear on coins that will be legal tender in the Pacific island of Niue.

A collection of four silver $2 coins costs NZ$469 (£240) while silver-plated $1 coins cost NZ$23.50 (£12) each.

All Niueans are New Zealand citizens and Queen Elizabeth II, who appears on the reverse of coins, is head of state.

Coin-issuer New Zealand Mint said they were gift products and would not be used "to go buy an ice cream with".

The first 10 silver-plated Star Wars coins will be available in November with a further 30 to be issued in the future.

A maximum of 50,000 copies of each silver-plated coin will be produced.

No more than 7,500 of each of the silver coins - which contain 1oz of the precious metal - will be produced.

In April, Niue premier Toke Talagi defended stamps celebrating the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton which featured a perforated line that split the couple.