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 based on the troy ounce, but some are in the metric system and go to the large size of one kilogram (1 kg) of silver.
This coin is part of the Slovakia Eagle ("Orol") range of premium bullion coins issued by the Czech Mint. It is a high relief version of the bullion silver kilo, and is also larger in diameter.
The mint says about it: World bullion coins tend to be dedicated to strong national symbols and the Eagle (Orol in Slovak), the first coin of its kind to be minted for the Slovak market, is no exception. The Slovaks have waited long and patiently for the opportunity for self-determination - like a bird of prey circling in the sky above the majestic Tatra Mountains looking for its prey. It is no wonder that Slovak poets and revivalists of the 19th century regarded the eagle as a kindred spirit and that Ľudovít Štúr himself named the cultural supplement of the Slovak National Newspaper "The Tatra Eagle" ("Orol tatránski" in Slovak). Despite the efforts of their foreign rulers, the Slovaks preserved their culture, language and character until they finally succeeded in winning their independence. The symbol of all they achieved was once again the eagle, which has always represented strength, victory, freedom and nobility, but also resurrection and new life.
The bird of prey, which represents the Christian kingdom of heaven, also refers to Slovak religious tradition.
In 2024, the reverse side is dominated by the flying golden eagle, which is the lord of the Tatras, and the magnificent mountain peak Kriváň rises below it. |