One Hundred Ducats 2020 Pope John Paul II, 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. 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 about this coin:
A native of Wadowice in Poland, an athlete, climber, poet, playwright, brilliant cleric and the first Slavic pope in history - all this was Karol Józef Wojtyła, who was renamed as John Paul II when he became Pope. The Czech Mint issued this majestic gold coin the weight of which is inspired by the historic ten-ducat on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth.

John Paul II differed significantly from most of the popes who ruled the Holy See before him. He had a great feeling for human freedom, which resulted from his personal experience with Nazism and Communism. While he tried to escape the first of the great evils of the 20th century, he did not hesitate to confront the second openly - he gradually became one of the greatest defenders of human rights and freedoms and made a significant contribution to the Fall of the Iron Curtain, which eventually led to his canonisation.

The pope impressed conservative believers with his maturity of opinion and adherence to seemingly obsolete dogmas. His commonness, spontaneous behaviour, and ability to speak to people again opened the church to young people.