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 famous movie characters.
This coin is part of a New Zealand Mint series dedicated to characters from famous movies and features Hermione Granger.
Hermione Jean Granger is a character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She first appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as a new student on her way to Hogwarts. After Harry and Ron save her from a mountain troll in the girls' restroom, she becomes best friends with them and often uses her quick wit, deft recall, and encyclopaedic knowledge to lend aid in dire situations. Rowling has stated that Hermione resembles herself as a young girl, with her insecurity and fear of failure. The character has had immense popularity. Hermione has been portrayed by actress Emma Watson in all eight Harry Potter films from Philosopher's Stone in 2001 to Deathly Hallows - Part 2 in 2011.
The Mint says about this coin: "A best friend of Harry Potter and the brightest witch of her age, Hermione Granger features on this carefully engraved 1oz silver coin. On one side it shows a close-up of the brilliant Muggle-born with her wand in hand, casting another perfect spell! The effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the other side confirms the legal tender status of the coin. The coin is kept safe in a quality wooden coin case which is ideal for display. This arrives inside a Harry Potter-themed box showing the original coin image in colour. A Certificate of Authenticity is provided to confirm the limited mintage of 5,000, the coin’s unique serial number and to guarantee the pure quality of the silver." |