| Coin | Palladium Ounce 2023 Czech Lion, Proof |
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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 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 the extremely rare one ounce of palladium format (abbreviated as 1 oz Pd).
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.
This coin is part of the Czech Lion range of bullion coins issued with a new design every year by the Czech Mint. This is the second design for 2023, which is in proof grade and features a hologram.
The mint says about it:
In 1999, the Czech Republic produced a unique coin - the world's first coin with holographic embossing in pure gold. It was a bi-metallic commemorative coin produced by the Czech Mint for the Czech National Bank on the occasion of the end of the second millennium. At that time, it was the minting of simple binary microstructures, however, today's technology is at an incomparably higher level. There are currently only a few workplaces in the world that can design and produce non-binary holographic structures, and the Czech company IQ Structures is at the very technological cutting edge. In 2020, in cooperation with the Czech Mint, it created the Czech Security Check security hologram, which protects selected high-mass “Czech Lion“ coins from counterfeiting.
Since holograms are not only a protective element, but also an ornamental one, both companies decided to go even further in 2023. Instead of a small part of the coin, they devoted the entire surface of the reverse side to the embossed hologram. |
| Mint | Czech Mint |
Mint Mark | Monogram ČM |
Total Mintage |
100
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin features the official Public Seal of Niue.
It has an inner circle of hiapo designs, representing the fonua (land), within which are stylised designs of a tree, representing life and tagata Niue (the people of Niue), surrounded by an outer circle in the form of a traditional Niuean garland of 14 seashells (representing the 14 villages of Niue), and crowned with St Edward's Crown (of the United Kingdom), representing the sovereign as head of state.
Around above between the two circles, the inscription PUBLIC SEAL OF NIUE. Below, a ribbon carries the motto ATUA NIUE TUKULAGI on two lines (meaning "God, Niue Eternally"), below which two crossed katoua (Niue fighting clubs).
The seal is in the upper part of the obverse. The lower left part is a representation of a "flaming eagle" - the symbol of Moravia and Silesia, two of the three historical Czech lands represented on the Coat of Arms of the Czech Republic.
Below, a composition of lines which evokes the Czech national flag. Diagonally on that, the face value 50 DOLLARS and the date of issue 2023.
In the background, leaves of linden - the Czech national tree.
Below right, the mint mark of the Czech Mint - a crowned monogram of the letters ČM (Česká mincovna). |
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse design represents the Czech lion, the St. Wenceslas crown (of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia between 921 and 935), and the eagle, which is a synthesis of the St. Wenceslas, Moravian and Silesian birds of prey. Although the reverse side looks very plastic, do not be fooled - it is practically flat. The motif is made up of microscopic reliefs with detail starting in the nanometre range - i.e. billionths of a metre.
Repeated multiple times in the background of the hologram, the letters ČM (for Česká mincovna - Czech Mint).
Diagonally on the left and right, the inscription ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA (Czech Republic). In smaller letters around above the right, the precious metal content: 1oz Au 999.5 (one troy ounce of 99.95% palladium). |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | Finish: proof, hologram.
Packaging: in black leatherette case, with a Certificate of Authenticity in Czech, Slovak, and English.
Czech Mint Product Code: 76680-151.
Release date: February 2024.
Release price: 2,291.00 EUR. |
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| See also |
Coins in the Czech Lion series issued in 2023 include:
- 1 oz Palladium, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1 oz Palladium Proof with Hologram, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1 oz Platinum, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1 kg Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 10 oz Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 5 oz Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 2 oz Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1 oz Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1 oz Gold Proof with Hologram, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1/2 oz Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1/4 oz Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1/10 oz Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1/25 oz Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 0.5 g Gold, Czech Lion, 2023
- 5 kg Silver, Czech Lion, 2023
- 3 kg Silver, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1 kg Silver, Czech Lion, 2023
- 10 oz Silver, Czech Lion, 2023
- 5 oz Silver, Czech Lion, 2023
- 2 oz Silver, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1 oz Silver, Czech Lion, 2023
- 1 oz Silver Proof with Hologram, Czech Lion, 2023
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