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 famous movie characters.
This specially shaped gilded coin is dedicated to the 1981 film classic Indiana Jones - Riders of the Lost Ark.
In the Oscar-winning adventure film, fearless archaeology professor Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones sets out on a quest for the fabled Ark of the Covenant on behalf of the American Secret Service. By securing the relic with supposed supernatural powers, the Nazis are to be prevented from gaining possession of it. He receives support in carrying out the risky mission from his former partner Marion and his friend Sallah.
The coin was struck by the New Zealand Mint from one ounce of 99.9% silver in proof quality and is gold-plated. It represents the Golden Idol, a fertility idol of Chachapoya, which is the first artefact Indiana Jones is able to recover in Raiders of the Lost Ark, after first having to overcome various traps inside a Peruvian temple.
The mintage is limited to 1,981 pieces as a reference to the release year of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas' blockbuster. |