| Coin | One Dollar Silver 2014 Brown Bear |
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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, 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. Many of them are made using "smartminting" techniques and have features not generally found in circulation coins - e.g. high relief, full colour printing and/or different forms, including fully three dimensional (3D).
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 particular coin denominated as One Niue Dollar is not in a standard ounce-based size.
This coin is the first issue in the Forest Babies series and features a Brown Bear. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin shows the silhouette of a tree, and the silhouettes of animals around it - a hare, a deer, a wild board, and some birds.
Around above, the legend and date NIUE ISLAND 2014. Around below, the monarch's name and the face value: ELIZABETH II 1 DOLLAR. Below the 4 of 2014, the hallmark Ag 999 (99.9% silver; "Ag" is abbreviated from Argentum, the Latin word for silver, and is internationally used to mark silver coins and jewellery).
The crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"), by Ian Rank-Broadley, is very small and is in a small oval cartouche to the left. There are no artist's initials; instead, below the neck truncation is the small MW mint mark of the Mint of Poland (m over W), for Mennica Warszawska (Mint of Warsaw). |
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse of the coin shows a multi-coloured digitally printed image of a baby brown bear in the bosom of nature.
Above left, along the rim, the inscription BROWN BEAR. Around below right, the name of the series: Forest Babies. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
BROWN BEAR Forest Babies |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | Finish: proof, digital printing.
Packaging: boxed, with Certificate of Authenticity. |
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