Silver Two Ounces 2022 Biblical - Samson and the Gates of Gaza, 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 - for example, two ounces of silver (abbreviated as 2 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum). Many of these features characters and themes from legends, mythology or religion, such as this one.

This coin is part of the Biblical Series by Scottsdale Mint and features the Biblical story of Samson and the Gates of Gaza.

Samson was an Old Testament hero and one of the judges of Israel. He governed the country for twenty years, at a time when it was being terrorised by the Philistines. One day, the Philistines discovered that he was staying overnight in the city of Gaza, in the house of a prostitute. They decided to ambush him and waited by the city gate, planning to kill him at dawn. But Samson rose in the middle of the night and in a feat of strength, removed the huge city gates from the wall and carried them away, up to a hill near Hebron.

The image of Samson removing the gates of Gaza later became a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ. This is because like Samson, he rose in the middle of the night and cheated death. The gates of Gaza were also considered symbols of the gates of hell, which Christ had conquered by rising from the dead.

The coin has a Proof-Antiqued finish and comes in a Bible Gift Box, with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity with the number matching the serial number inscribed on the edge of the coin. The designs on both sides are "rimless" (there is no border around them, so the design can extend to the edge of the coin).

The designs of the series are based on Bible illustrations in Romanticism style by the famous French artist Gustave Doré (1832 - 1883).