Coin | Gold Ounce 2023 Aurora Borealis |
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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 one ounce of gold (abbreviated as 1 oz Au, where "Au" comes from the Latin word for gold, Aurum).
This coloured coin is dedicated to the natural phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis, which occurs in the Northern hemisphere (there is a similar coin for the Aurora Australis which occurs in the South).
The term "aurora" was first used to describe this phenomenon by Galileo Galilei in honor of the Roman goddess of the dawn. There are many myths surrounding the northern aurora borealis. According to Nordic legend, they are interpreted as a connection between the earthly and spiritual realms. From a scientific point of view, the colorful spectacle can be explained by the fact that energy-rich particles of the solar wind interact with the earth's magnetic field, causing fluorescence. |
Mint | PAMP |
Mint Mark | No mint mark |
Total Mintage |
99
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Obverse | |
The obverse of the coin shows the bare (uncrowned) head of King Charles III facing left.
In small letters below, the artist's initials: JC (for Jody Clark).
Around, the monarch's legend, the face value and the date of issue: CHARLES III · NIUE 2023 · 100 DOLLARS · 1oz 9999 GOLD ·.
The inscription also includes the precious metal content; "1 oz 9999 GOLD" means "one troy ounce of 99.99% gold". |
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Reverse | |
The reverse of the coin shows depiction of a footbridge running through the peaceful Scandinavian landscape, with an aurora visible in vivid colours in the sky.
At the base of the bridge, the inscription AURORA BOREALIS. |
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Reverse Inscription |
AURORA BOREALIS |
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Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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Notes | Finish: proof. Packaging: in presentation clam-shell style box with gold-coloured outer shipper, with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Release price: AU$ 4,950.00.
No primary information is available about this coin; it seems to be commissioned by the Australian company Downies, and struck by PAMP. |
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See also |
Similar coins with Space and Wonderful Nature themes include: - 1 oz Gold Coloured, Aurora Australis, Niue 2022 - 1 oz Silver Coloured, Aurora Australis, Tuvalu 2022 - 1 oz Gold Coloured, Earth From Above, Niue 2022 - 1 oz Silver Coloured, Earth From Above, Niue 2022 - 1 oz Gold Coloured, Earth - Blue Marble, Niue 2022 - 1 oz Silver Coloured, Earth - Blue Marble, Niue 2022 - 1 oz Gold Coloured, Roswell Incident, Niue 2022 - 1 oz Silver Coloured, Roswell Incident, Niue 2022 - 1 oz Gold Coloured, Aurora Borealis, Niue 2023 - 1 oz Silver Coloured, Aurora Borealis, Tuvalu 2023 - 1 oz Gold Coloured, Electric Sky, Niue 2024 - 1 oz Silver Coloured, Electric Sky, Tuvalu 2024 - 1 oz Gold Coloured, Mars from Phobos, Niue 2024 - 1 oz Silver Coloured, Mars from Phobos, Niue 2024
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