Silver Ounce 2020 Chibi - Stormtrooper, Coin from Niue - detailed information

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 a Stormtrooper from the Star Wars series.

The Mint says about it:
"This Chibi™ Coin features the Empire’s elite shock trooper, the Stormtrooper. Nicknamed 'bucketheads', the Stormtrooper’s helmet was always going to be the focus of the Chibi version. Their weapon of choice, the blaster rifle, also features prominently in this design.

The coin is made from 1oz of pure silver which has been shaped and coloured black and white to represent the Stormtrooper. The Ian Rank Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is found on the obverse and confirms it as a legal tender coin.

A Certificate of Authenticity is printed on the box alongside confirmation of the coin’s unique number in the mintage. The Stormtrooper-themed box includes a large window, so the coin can be easily displayed."