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 - for example, two ounces of silver (abbreviated as 2 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum).
The Mint says about this coin: "In Ancient Egypt, the scarab (scarabeus) beetle was seen as the epitome of divinity. As a symbol of rebirth, it was believed to illustrate the Sun's heavenly path across the sky.
Produced from precious metals and gemstones, the beautifully crafted sacred beetles were popular Egyptian talismans, sometimes used as currency. Thanks to its scarlet colour, ruby is associated with life: it restores vitality and inspires to find happiness." |