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.
The Mint says about this coin: The third release in the Friends Chibi Coin series features the affable womaniser with a heart of gold, Joey Tribbiani! More than just an actor and food lover, Joey is sweet, caring and loves his friends.
Created in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, this coin has been shaped and coloured to resemble Joey as Chibi art holding his pet duck. Despite its unique appearance, this is still a legal tender coin, with the obverse bearing the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Each coin is safely secured inside a FRIENDS™ themed case, providing protection for years to come. The box also includes a large window, allowing for easy display. A Certificate of Authenticity is printed on the box, along with the confirmation of the coin’s unique serial number in the limited mintage of 2,000 coins. |