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, or are based on the troy ounce - for example, three ounces of silver (abbreviated as 3 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum).
The sixth issue of the Disney Cinema Masterpieces was struck by the New Zealand Mint from three ounces of 99.9% silver in proof quality and is dedicated to the famous animated film Fantasia. The colorful design depicts the iconic scene from the film in which Mickey Mouse is dreaming of standing on the top of a great rock and directing the stars.
The Disney animated film "Fantasia" premiered in 1940 and is one of Walt Disney's most iconic films due to its unique combination of classical music and masterfully animated stories. The film presents eight different musical pieces, conducted by Leopold Stokowski and performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Among the most famous scenes from the film is Mickey Mouse's appearance in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," directed by Paul Dukas, in which the famous character battles broom-like creatures after trying to use magic to make his chores easier. |