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 in standard bullion sizes - including this very large five ounces of silver format (abbreviated as 5 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum).
The Crocodile and Shark coin is the fourth and final design in the Apex Predators Collection, and features the two apex predators of the sea - the great white shark and the saltwater crocodile.
The Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is probably the most famous and also the most feared sea creature in the world. The apex predator prefers mainly temperate coastal waters and has a jaw with up to 300 teeth in several rows. Just as deadly as it is well known is the fearsome saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). It is the largest reptile on earth and can live up to 70 years. Not only does it look dangerous, about half of the crocodile attacks on humans are due to the saltwater crocodile. It prefers the tropical regions of Australia, Asia and the Pacific, but it has also been spotted far from land at sea. |