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

The Mint says about it:
"Loyal Hobbit, Samwise Gamgee, forms part of our The Lord of the Rings™ Chibi™ Coin Collection. Officially licensed, the coin is made from 1oz of pure silver which has been shaped and coloured to represent Sam in the Chibi art style - from his golden curls, travelling cloak and bag down to his Hobbit feet!

The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is found on the obverse to confirm it as a legal tender coin. A custom-made case has been moulded to the coin’s shape for protection This sits inside The Lord of the Rings themed packaging, which includes a large window to allow the coin to be seen. There are only 2,000 coins being minted and you will find confirmation of each coin’s unique serial number on the box. A Certificate of Authenticity is printed alongside"