One Dollar Silver 2012 Fabergé - Order of St George Egg, 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, bullion and collector coins under the authority of Niue. These coins are dedicated to historical or general popular culture themes not related to Niue itself.

Some coins are marketed in standard bullion sizes, like half ounce silver, one ounce silver etc, and some of those are also denominated as $1, for which see respective lists. This coin, denominated as One Niue Dollar, is not in a standard ounce-based size and is made using a "smartminting" technique - meaning that it has features not generally found in circulation coins.

This coin is part of a series of coins dedicated to the famous Fabergé eggs, and depicts the Imperial Order of St. George egg (also called the Cross of St. George egg), made in 1916. Created during World War I, the egg commemorates the Order of St. George that was awarded to Emperor Nicholas II and his son, the Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaievich. The Order of St. George (Russian: Орден Святого Георгия) is the highest military decoration in Russia and was Originally established on 26 November 1769 as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commissioned officers and generals by Empress Catherine the Great.

The Order of St. George Egg and its counterpart the Steel Military Egg were given a modest design in keeping with the austerity of World War I. The Order of St. George egg left Bolshevik Russia with its original recipient, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.

A Fabergé egg (Russian: Яйца Фаберже́) is a jewelled egg created by the House of Fabergé, in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire. Possibly as many as sixty-nine were created, of which fifty-seven survive today. Virtually all were manufactured under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé between 1885 and 1917, the most famous being the fifty-two "Imperial" eggs, forty-six of which survive, made for the Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II as Easter gifts for their wives and mothers. Thanks to the exuberance, intricacy and splendour of decoration, Fabergé Eggs have gained a huge popularity as jewellery masterpieces.

The coin is in Proof quality, with stone inserts. It comes boxed, with a Certificate of Authenticity.