Silver Ounce 2023 Gould’s Birds - Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, 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). Many of these feature various animals.

The Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo 1oz Silver Proof Coin is the second release in a series inspired by John Gould’s famous illustrations of Australia’s rich birdlife.

Known as the "Father of Australian Ornithology", Gould’s definitive and magnificently illustrated masterpiece, "The Birds of Australia" (published in seven volumes between 1840 and 1848), gained prominence as the first comprehensive tome on Australian birdlife, exquisitely illustrated by his wife Elizabeth ‐ one of finest natural history artists of the Victorian age!

The stunning species of bird is s named after Major Sir Thomas Mitchell, an explorer and surveyor of Southeast Australia in the 1800s. Native to Australia, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo is easily recognisable by its pink and white colouring and elegant head crest - often displaying shades of red and even yellow. Highly intelligent and playful, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo has been revered in Aboriginal culture.