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 gold half ounce is part of the first bullion release by the Australian company ABC Mint in the jurisdiction of Niue.
The coin features the iconic Australian animals - the Kangaroo and Emu - set against the vast Australian outback, both looking towards the Southern Cross constellation, a defining feature of the Australian night sky, which is also present on the flag of Australia.
The Kangaroo and Emu symbolise a nation moving forward. Together with the Southern Cross, these coins not only capture Australia’s national identity but also its place in the world, anchored by the constellation that has guided the Southern Hemisphere for centuries. |