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 Legolas, a character from the Lord of the Rings saga.
The Mint says about it: Legolas, the Sinda Elf from Lord of the Rings, takes his place in this Chibi Coin Series. Featured in his grey and green attire, his distinctive long blond hair, pointed ears and bright blue eyes make him instantly recognisable.
Made from 1oz of pure silver, this officially licensed coin is shaped and coloured but still retains its legal tender status. The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II can be found on the obverse. The packaging is themed to match and includes a large window so the coin can be easily displayed in its custom-made case - which is moulded to the coin’s shape for protection. Each coin has a unique number in the limited 2,000 mintage - this can be found on a holographic sticker on the box. A Certificate of Authenticity is printed alongside. |