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 Schnauzer.
The mint says about it:
The Schnauzer used to be a versatile working breed. The medium-sized, robust dog with thick eyebrows and a distinctive moustache, which gave it its name, served mainly peasants. He hunted mice and rats, but he was not afraid of bigger pests - he also defended stables and barns from unwary thieves. In the 19th century, he could therefore be found on every farm in southern Germany, the original home of the breed. The shrill bark of the courageous and reliable "stable pinscher" was also useful to the foreman, for urging on tired sledges or guarding passengers. The hardy dog accompanied carriages on long journeys and protected them from being ambushed...
Today he is at home in the countryside and in the city, where he is a loyal companion and a favourite not only of his family, but also of the wider neighbourhood. He is wilful, but obedient and devoted - lively and playful, but alert.
The reverse side of the coin, which is the work of the medal maker MgA. Martin Dašek, bears two depictions of the schnauzer. The first one is coloured, . The second, which is in relief, . The composition is supplemented with the bilingual inscription – . As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with a foreign licence from the island of Niue, they bear the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse side, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue 2022. These attributes are supplemented with a series of footprints - human and canine. All twelve coins from the Dog Breeds series can be saved in a spectacular collector's book which is also available in the offer of the Czech Mint. |
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