Gold Ounce 2017 Taniwha, Coin from New Zealand - detailed information

New Zealand uses the New Zealand Dollar as its circulation currency for daily transactions. The country also issues a number of commemorative and collector coins, including in the internationally popular gold one-ounce format (abbreviated as 1 oz Au, where "Au" comes from the Latin word for gold, Aurum). Authorised by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the official issuer of these coins is NZ Post - which also issues the country's postal stamps. Manufacturing of the coins is commissioned to various foreign mints.

The coins are "Non-Circulating Legal Tender" (NCLT) and not bullion because they are issued at prices much higher than their intrinsic value and are targeted at collectors who appreciate them for their artistic or sentimental value, and not at bullion investors.

NZ Post (the issuer of the coin) says about this coin:
The powerful taniwha is intricately depicted on this 1oz gold proof coin. The taniwha was a dominant creature in Māori legends, portrayed as a terrifying beast or a protector of tribes. The exact characteristics of the taniwha often changed, sometimes it was portrayed with wings, other times it was a serpent or a terrifying sea monster.