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 one ounce of silver format (abbreviated as 1 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum). 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 it: A dominant creature in many Māori legends, the taniwha is beautifully depicted in this 1oz silver proof coin. They were said to live in water, favouring deep pools in lakes, or rough waters and rips in rivers and oceans. The powerful taniwha can be seen emerging from a stormy sea in this detailed coin. |