Gold Quarter Ounce 2014 Disney - Steamboat Willie, Coin from Niue - detailed information

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 quarter ounce of gold (abbreviated as 1/4 oz Au, where "Au" comes from the Latin word for gold, Aurum). Many of these feature famous movie characters.

This coin is part of the first release in a large New Zealand Mint range featuring Disney characters, and is dedicated to the 1928 cartoon Steamboat Willie, in which the famous character Mickey Mouse appeared for the first time.

The mint says about it:
Steamboat Willie has been at the helm of Disney animation from the early days, steering it forward through the seas of imagination. Released at the Colony Theatre in New York on 18 November 1928, Steamboat Willie was directed by Walt Disney and is considered the debut of Mickey Mouse.

Through the decades since its release, Steamboat Willie has received widespread critical acclaim, not only for introducing one of the world’s most popular cartoon characters, but for its innovation. The film is notable for being the first cartoon with synchronised sound. It was also the first cartoon to feature a post-produced soundtrack using a fifteen piece band and the voice of Walt Disney himself as Mickey.

In 1994, Steamboat Willie was voted 13th greatest cartoon of all time. The film was also selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1998, being deemed culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.

This release is a collaboration between BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand and the New Zealand Mint.