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 movie characters. Some are also in innovative shapes, such as "Chibi".
Chibi (ちび or チビ) is a Japanese slang word describing something short (a thing, an animal or a person). The term is widely used to describe a specific style of caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way: small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads. Coins of this type look like cartoon characters and have their corresponding shape; they are also very thick for their size.
This coin features Rubeus Hagrid, a character from the Harry Potter books and movies.
The Mint says about it: "Rubeus Hagrid™, Hogwarts Gamekeeper and loyal friend to Harry Potter™, forms part of the officially licensed Harry Potter™ Chibi Coin Collection. This 1oz pure silver coin has been shaped and coloured to resemble the kindly half-giant in the Chibi art style. He is instantly recognisable by his long mane of hair, wild beard, and eyes like black beetles.
On the obverse is the Ian Rank Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to confirm it as legal tender.
Each coin is part of a limited mintage of only 2,000. A holographic sticker placed on the box, alongside the Certificate of Authenticity, confirms the coin’s unique serial number. Inside the coin is protected by a custom-made case to fit its unique shape. A large display window makes this a fantastic collectible." |