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 - typically, one ounce of silver (abbreviated as 1 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum). Many of these feature flora themes (various plants).
This coin is part of a series by B.H. Mayer dedicated to iris flowers, and depicts an Iris Florentina.
The Mint says about it:
"Irises are immensely popular for huge varieties of garden blooms and widely used in landscaping, beautifying gardens and back yards.
The reverse of this amazing silver coin features colourised image of charming white flowers of “Iris Florentina”. Irises are displayed against the Florence Cathedral which is presented in the background. Alluring white irises decorate Florence, place where Iris Florentina was cultivated for the first time, since the Middle Ages, they perfectly set off the beauty of the Tuscan landscape. The planting of the irises in Tuscany is a matter of great consideration. The Society of Florence Iris Lovers holds an annual international competition among amateur and professional gardeners, the essence of which is to select the most quality-grown iris flower, which is featured on the Florence city emblem." | 
Search for Niue: Silver Ounce 2012 Iris Florentina on eBay 
