Silver Ounce 2021 Chibi - LOTR: Gollum, 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 Gollum, a character from the Lord of the Rings saga.

The Mint says about it:
Lord of the Rings brought us many iconic characters, including the Ring-corrupted Hobbit, Gollum. This officially licensed Chibi Coin shows the pale-skinned Gollum wearing his loincloth. Together with his large, beady eyes, small strands of brown hair and few sharpened teeth, he is instantly recognisable.

Despite its shape and colour, this 1oz of pure silver is still a legal tender coin. The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II can be found on the obverse. The packaging is designed to match and includes a large window so the coin can be easily displayed. Inside it is further protected by a coin case moulded to the coin’s shape.