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 coins under the authority of Niue. Most of these are commemorative and collector issues dedicated to historical or general popular culture themes not related to Niue itself. Many of them are in standard bullion sizes, including a large five ounces of silver format (abbreviated as 5 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum). Those issued at prices much higher than their bullion value are separately listed in the Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) silver five ounces section of the site.
Unlike them, this coin is targeted at bullion investors and was initially released at a price close to the value of its precious metal content.
This coin is part of the legal tender bullion coin Truth Series by Sunshine Minting, US (called Sunshine Mint by most dealers).
The company says about it: "The symbolism of the Lion was imparted unto the children of Jacob's youngest son, Judah, in the book of Genesis. Emblematic of all that is fierce, powerful, majestic, and influential, the Lion of Judah extends Lion's domain beyond the jungle and imparts these qualities unto all those in association.
The reverse side depicts a Lion's head; its fierce roar is made evident with the use of expert engraving as the details of his scowl are apparent for all to see. A crown adorns the Lion with the Aleph Tav, a symbol representative of both the covenant's leader and the unity of Judah's descendants. The image is enhanced as it is laid over a uniquely florally inspired coin field, which serves to enhance the beauty of the coin. A micro-engraved inscription [of a truth] is included on Lion's crown as an added security feature."
The hidden "truth" inscribed on every coin provides significant value to the series; the text changes every year. The Roaring Lion, which comes out earlier in the year, contains the first half of the Truth, while the Tree of Life has the second half. The truth "All your words are true" is micro-engraved on the 2022 5 oz Roaring Lion Silver Coin. This truth can be found in Psalm 119:160. The second half of the truth can be found on the 2022 Tree of Life coin. |