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. One of them is the Czech Mint, which uses not only standard bullion sizes but also some formats based on the Czech Gold Ducat, including 100 Ducats weighing a massive 348.5 grams.
The coins are "Non-Circulating Legal Tender" (NCLT) and not bullion because they are issued at prices much higher than their bullion value and are targeted at collectors who appreciate them for their artistic or sentimental value, and not at bullion investors.
The Mint says:
This coin is dedicated to Wenceslas IV, King of Bohemia and King of the Romans, a significant member of the House of Luxembourg, son of Charles IV and Anne of Świdnica.
After the death of Charles IV, the older of his two sons Wenceslas IV (also spelled Wenceslaus) got the throne. Despite his excellent education, the duties of a ruler did not seem to interest him much and he preferred his hobbies, especially game hunting. He was opposed by the Czech nobility, as well as by his brother Sigismund; he also provoked frequent disputes with the church because he sympathised with the Reformers and issued the Decree of Kutná Hora. During his reign the Czech kingdom, as well as the entire Europe, experienced hard times. The plague spread all over and the country was threatened by thieves, robbers and looting knights. Common people were losing their confidence in church where power struggle raged and where, instead of fulfilling their mission, priests, monks and popes only accumulated property and impoverished believers by selling indulgencies. This period culminated with the Hussite Wars, but Wenceslas IV did not live to witness them as he died in 1419. |
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Above the centre, the obverse of the coin shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.
Usually, the designer's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley) are present below the portrait when it is used, but they are not displayed on this coin.
On three lines below left, the face value and date of issue: 250 DOLLARS 2014. To the right of that, the famous sign of Wenceslas IV: a kingfisher and a “věník“. The bird symbolises true love, and is believed to be able to protect against lightning, multiply hidden treasures and calm storms. “Věník“ is a towel knotted into a ring - a sign of the barbers’ guild and an ancient emblem of love. Under this, the kings W monogram.
Below, the mint mark of the Czech Mint - a crowned monogram of the letters ČM (Česká mincovna) - is above the date of issue 2016.
Around, the monarch's legend: ELIZABETH II. NIUE ISLAND. |
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