Silver Two Ounces 2022 Slovakia Eagle, 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 coins under the authority of Niue. Most of these are commemorative and collector issues dedicated to historical or general popular culture themes not related to Niue itself. Many of them are in standard bullion sizes - including two ounces of silver (abbreviated as 2 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum). Those issued at prices much higher than their bullion value are separately listed in the Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) silver two ounces section of the site.

Unlike them, this coin is targeted at bullion investors and was initially released at a price close to the value of its precious metal content.

This coin is part of the Slovakia Eagle ("Orol") range of premium bullion coins issued by the Czech Mint.

The Mint says about it:
World bullion coins tend to be dedicated to strong national symbols and the Eagle (Orol in Slovak), the first coin of its kind to be minted for the Slovak market, is no exception. The Slovaks have waited long and patiently for the opportunity for self-determination - like a bird of prey circling in the sky above the majestic Tatra Mountains looking for its prey. It is no wonder that Slovak poets and revivalists of the 19th century regarded the eagle as a kindred spirit and that Ľudovít Štúr himself named the cultural supplement of the Slovak National Newspaper "The Tatra Eagle" ("Orol tatránski" in Slovak). Despite the efforts of their foreign rulers, the Slovaks preserved their culture, language and character until they finally succeeded in winning their independence. The symbol of all they achieved was once again the eagle, which has always represented strength, victory, freedom and nobility, but also resurrection and new life.

The bird of prey, which represents the Christian kingdom of heaven, also refers to Slovak religious tradition. In 2022, all the variants of the investment coin were re-worked, but the main idea was preserved. The reverse side of the investment coin is dominated by the golden eagle, which is the master of the Tatras, with the magnificent mountain peak Kriváň rising behind it. The obverse side is then covered with ornaments of the Čičmanský pattern, which is a unique addition to Slovak folk architecture.