Gold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz, Coin from Niue - detailed information

Gold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz, Coin from Niue
CoinGold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz

Niue, a sovereign state in free association with New Zealand, uses two official legal tender currencies. The New Zealand Dollar is the circulation currency for daily transactions, while the government also authorises legal tender coins in the Niue Dollar currency for collector's purposes.

A number of mints issue a large variety of commemorative and collector coins under the authority of Niue. These coins are dedicated to historical or general popular culture themes not related to Niue itself. Many of them are in standard bullion sizes - such as a half ounce of gold (abbreviated as 1/2 oz Au, where "Au" comes from the Latin word for gold, Aurum).

This coin, commemorating the Liberation of Auschwitz, was issued as part of a four-coin gold proof set by the Czech Mint.

The Mint says about it:
70 years ago, on 27 January 1945, one of the most horrifying chapters of WW2 was closed. On this day, the Soviet army liberated the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp Oswiecim in Poland. Only 7,000 prisoners were saved. During the previous almost five years of the camp’s existence, more than one million people were executed here.

Together with the Czech Mint, designer Jakub Orava cooperated with the Terezín Initiative Institute which supports research of the history of the “final solution” in Bohemia and Moravia, and the history of the Terezín ghetto. Final version of the coin originated on the basis of talks with Dagmar Lieblová and Toman Brod, two survivors of the Oswiecim camp.

The reverse of the coin is dominated by the depiction of human figures stepping out of the notoriously known camp gate, with the ill known watchword Arbeit macht frei. “In my opinion the coin is also important, among other things, because to the two hundred people that will have it at home, it will remind eve after many years the horrible events and commemorate the victims. I have unfortunately, the impression, that people more and more forget what had happened 70 years ago“, said Anna Hyndráková, witness of the Terezín camp.

MintCzech Mint Mint MarkMonogram ČM Total Mintage99
Obverse
Niue / Gold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz - obverse photo

At the centre of the obverse, the coin shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits. There are no designer's initials below the effigy.

To the left of the portrait and below, the mint mark of the Czech Mint - a crowned monogram of the letters ČM (Česká mincovna).

The rim surrounding the portrait is ringed with graveyard crosses. In the outer rim, the Queen's legend, the face value and date of issue: ELIZABETH II · NIUE ISLAND · 25 DOLLARS · 2015 ·.

Obverse Inscription ELIZABETH II · NIUE ISLAND · 25 DOLLARS · 2015 ·
Reverse
Niue / Gold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz - reverse photo

The reverse of the coin is dominated by the depiction of human silhouettes stepping out of the notoriously known camp gate of the Auschwitz concentration camp, with its notorious slogan ARBEIT MACHT FREI ("work sets you free") seen from behind. Through the silhouettes are seen the names of Czech people who died in the camp.

Around above, the inscription 27. LEDNA 1945 (27 January 1945). Around below, OSVOBOZENÍ OSVĚTIMI (Liberation of Oświęcim - the town near which Auschwitz was located)

Reverse Inscription 27. LEDNA 1945 OSVOBOZENÍ OSVĚTIMI
EdgePlain, inscribedEdge Inscription[serial number]
Issued in Set
End of World War II - 2015, mintage 99
4 coins: Liberation of Auschwitz, Battle of Iwo Jima, Red Army Captures Berlin, Prague Uprising
See also

Coins issued by the Czech Mint in 2015 for Niue to mark the end of World War II include:
- Gold Half Ounce 2015, Liberation of Auschwitz
- $5 Gold 2015, Liberation of Auschwitz
- Gold Half Ounce 2015, Battle of Iwo Jima
- $5 Gold 2015, Battle of Iwo Jima
- Gold Half Ounce 2015, Red Army Captures Berlin
- $5 Gold 2015, Red Army Captures Berlin
- Gold Half Ounce 2015, Prague Uprising
- $5 Gold 2015, Prague Uprising

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Royal Mint
Royal Mint
Gold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz: Details
CountryNiue
CurrencyNiue Dollar
Coin TypeGold Half Ounce (1/2 oz)
Issued2015
MonarchQueen Elizabeth II
EffigyQueen Elizabeth II - Fourth Portrait, by Ian Rank-Broadley
Face Value25 (x Dollar)
Total Mintage99
CurrentYes
Material0.9999 Gold
DesignerJakub Orava
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
OrientationMedal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size28.000 mm
Mass15.560 g
OCC IDRWKZ-EJNC-JXQZ-EXGL
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Gold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz: Photos
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Coin, Niue, Gold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz
Copyright: Czech Mint
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Coin, Niue, Gold Half Ounce 2015 Liberation of Auschwitz
Copyright: Czech Mint
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