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 Dobermann.
The mint says about it:
There was a tax collector named Louis Dobermann in Germany in the second half of the 19th century. His profession was dangerous - robbers lurked on long journeys, and he needed a faithful protector. Because Louis was also a local dog catcher who caught stray dogs, he set about crossbreeding them. He selected vigilant and eager individuals of various races, whose characteristics he gradually combined into one breed. Thus was created the “Doberman“ - a fast, strong, loyal, intelligent and also sharp dog. The fearless guard was quickly adopted by police officers and soldiers, whom he served in both world wars, which unfortunately gave him an unflattering reputation as a dangerous and aggressive creature. This false impression is supported by Doberman's imposing athletic physique with his short, shiny coat, but in reality he is a gentle companion and the darling of the whole family. |
| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin features the official Public Seal of Niue.
It has an inner circle of hiapo designs, representing the fonua (land), within which are stylised designs of a tree, representing life and tagata Niue (the people of Niue), surrounded by an outer circle in the form of a traditional Niuean garland of 14 seashells (representing the 14 villages of Niue), and crowned with St Edward's Crown (of the United Kingdom), representing the sovereign as head of state.
Around above between the two circles, the inscription PUBLIC SEAL OF NIUE. Below, a ribbon carries the motto ATUA NIUE TUKULAGI on two lines (meaning "God, Niue Eternally"), below which two crossed katoua (Niue fighting clubs).
The emblem is in a small oval above the centre. Around above left, the face value 1 DOLLAR; around above right, the date of issue 2023.
The rest of 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 Seal of Niue. On its left, the mint mark of the Czech Mint - a crowned monogram of the letters ČM (Česká mincovna). |
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse side of the coin shows two depictions of a Dobermann (also spelled as Doberman) dog. The first is coloured, and presents the dog with domed ears. The second, which is in relief, recalls the historical image of a dog with vertical ears in the role of a rescuer, with a first aid kit strapped to its side.
Around above, the name of the breed in English: DOBERMANN; around below, the same in Czech: DOBRMAN. |
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