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 various animals.
This coin is part of the Dog Breeds series of coloured silver coins by the Czech Mint, and features the Border Collie.
The mint says about it:
The task of border collies, which are classified as sheepdogs, herding dogs and hounds, was to accompany the herd, protect it from danger and direct its movement according to the commands of the herder. The breed was bred at the end of the 19th century on the border between England and Scotland, and it was this fact that gave it its name - "border". The rugged landscape gave rise to a dog for adversity that is physically fit, agile and weather-resistant, as well as hard-working, attentive and studious. The Border Collie belongs to the most intelligent breeds. They are able to anticipate commands, get along easily with other animals, and are very friendly with people. Therefore, it is not surprising that they have become the favourite pets of active owners and do various physical activities with them. |
| Obverse | |
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In a small oval in the upper part of the obverse, the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits. In small letters below, the initials of the artist, IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).
The rest of the central part of the obverse shows human and dog footprints on the ground. The designer's initials MD (for Martin Dašek) are below and to the right of the oval containing the Queen's portrait. On its left, the mint mark of the Czech Mint - a crowned monogram of the letters ČM (Česká mincovna).
Around the rim, the monarch's legend, face value and date of issue: NIUE ISLAND ELIZABETH II - 1 DOLLAR - 2022 -. |
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse side of the coin shows two depictions of a Border collie. The first is coloured, thus making the contrasting black and white coat of the dog stand out. The second, which is embossed, presents the dog jumping over an obstacle - border collies are very energetic and therefore need plenty of space and movement.
Around above, the name of the breed in English: BORDER COLLIE; around below left, the same in Czech: BORDER KOLIE. |
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