Are toons the best way to attract more people to coins?

People on the Polynesian island of Niue obviously love taking the mickey; and they evidently have gained a rather eclectic knowledge of the English language thanks to their connection with the erstwhile British Empire. Why else would they pun on the world’s most famous cartoon mouse by putting his face on solid gold and silver coins that are worth far more than their ‘face value’? If traditionally fistfuls of socalled Mickey Mouse money have fetched nothing more substantial than a matchbox, Niue is making a (profitable) habit of minting coins with cartoon characters — and earlier, Star Wars protagonists as well — which can buy far more than their stamped value. Indeed, putting the face of their Queenby-association-with-New-Zealand on the other side may have been regarded as lèse-majesté in less permissive times too, but now seems to have enhanced the appeal of the coins beyond the usual community of numismatists. Whether toons are the best way to attract more people to coins — especially high-end presentation ones — is debatable, there does seem to be a good case to widen the category of visages used in India where deities have been the usual choice. That private parties have already put Chhota Bheem on silver coins here bespeaks a latent demand, and the government may consider tapping into it for the festival season.