New Zealand issuing Hobbit money

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New Zealand, continuing to get as much "Hobbit"-related mileage as it can, will feature characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's epic on its national currency and postage stamps starting next month.

Residents will be able to pay with coins showing likenesses of Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the wizard. Not that anyone would actually do so, since the worth of the coins is expected to far exceed their face value. The most expensive coin will be made from about 28 grams of pure gold, according to AFP, and will cost about $3,020. Its face value, however, is just 10 New Zealand dollars.

The cheapest coin, with a face value of 1 New Zealand dollar, will sell for about $24. The hardcore "Hobbit" fan can buy a set of three gold coins featuring Gandalf, Bilbo and Thorin Oakenshield for about $9,000. Each coin will have the words "Middle-Earth -- New Zealand" inscribed in English and Dwarvish, according to the CBC.

And if you want to cradle the coins and whisper, "My precious," well, no one will hold it against you.

The coins will be available for international orders. Interested buyers can head to the New Zealand Post website, which is offering preorders.A Post spokesman says that the coins "fit in with the mythology of Middle-Earth," The Wall Street Journal reports.

New Zealand isn't exactly Middle Earth, but the country is all but renaming itself for the weeks surrounding the release of the first installment of "The Hobbit" trilogy. The country's capital, Wellington, will be unofficially renamed "The Middle of Middle-Earth," Time reports. The film is slated to debut Nov. 28 in Wellington.

New Zealand cashed in on "Hobbit"-related tourism for years after director Peter Jackson filmed large parts of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy there, and saw a huge business between 2001 and 2004. Check out this very Hobbit-esque New Zealand tourism commercial. But "Hobbit" fans have lost interest lately, and the country is hoping the new films will spark its tourism business again.

The New Zealand Post reached a deal with Warner Bros. for the use of images from the film series on its stamps. The Post thinks it will easily get a return on the money it's putting into the effort, since its "Lord of the Rings" stamps were the biggest stamp issues in its history, according to the New Zealand Herald.

The Post is issuing six stamps, presentation packs and a collection book. The collection book will sell for about $315.

Now... who has $9000 I can borrow?