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: Welcome to the first in the new Warriors of History Chibi Coin Series! This 1oz pure silver coin has been designed to represent a mighty Samurai warrior in traditional armour.
On the obverse side is the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, providing confirmation that this is, in fact, a legal tender coin! To allow you to easily display this unique collectible, the packaging includes a large window. It also features original artwork to complement the coin inside, which is protected by a specially designed case moulded to the coin’s shape. Each box has a Certificate of Authenticity printed on it, along with confirmation of the coin’s unique serial number in the limited 2,000 mintage. |