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 have a Zodiac-inspired theme.
This coin is part of a New Zealand Mint series featuring the Chinese Lunar Calendar and is dedicated to the 2023 Year of the Rabbit (22 January 2023 to 9 February 2024).
The Mint says about it: This Lunar Year of the Rabbit 1oz Silver Coin shows a delightful rabbit in its lucky blue and pink toned colours, surrounded by a myriad of decorative iridescent motifs. This is offset by a stunning mirror finish. The coin is placed in a contemporary-style acrylic display block and packed in a complementary red and gold box featuring the same rabbit image - making this an ideal gift for those born in the Year of the Rabbit and Lunar New Year coin collectors.
To confirm the coin as legal tender, the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is stamped on the obverse, and a Certificate of Authenticity is placed inside the packaging. The worldwide release is limited to 2,023 - to reflect the Year of the Rabbit.
The Years of the Rabbit include: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, and 2023. |