Silver Ounce 2023 Crystal Coin - Hello Baby, Coin from Niue - detailed information

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).

This coin by the Czech Mint is intended as a gift to a newborn baby. The Mint says about it:
The unique gift series "Crystal Coin" is the result of a combination of traditional Jablonec crafts - the Czech Mint and Preciosa glassworks. The birth of a child is one of the most popular motifs that appear on silver coins with Czech crystal. The original gift with a stork motif is being released for the second time - this time with the year 2023.

Storks were worshiped all over the world in ancient times. The noble feathered creatures symbolised piety and justice in ancient Egypt, immortality in China and new life in Europe. The Germanic pagans believed that it was not only frogs that lived in the marshes, which were a favourite delicacy of storks, but also the souls of unborn children. The storks hunted these souls and placed them in the bodies of the future mothers. Weddings then took place at the celebration of the summer solstice at the end of June, and when the storks returned home from warmer climes in the spring, many newly married women were about to give birth. The notion of the stork bearing children was aided by the fact that he himself was a caring parent who devotedly took care of his offspring. The superstition has survived into modern times, and has helped parents to avoid delicate conversation with older siblings of newborn children for hundreds of years. Where did the baby come from? A stork brought it! Why is mommy lying in bed? A stork pecked her! The children were happy to accept that explanation...