Silver Ounce 2025 Year of the Snake, Proof, Coin from Pitcairn Islands - detailed information

The Pitcairn Islands is a non-sovereign British overseas territory in the Pacific Ocean. Having a population of fewer than fifty people, the territory has no need for local coinage and uses the New Zealand dollar as a medium of exchange. Pitcairn Islands began issuing its first commemorative coins in 1988. Though the Pitcairn Islands dollar is not a true currency in the strict sense of the word and is not used as a circulation coinage, it can be lawfully exchanged as tender and is considered a variety of the New Zealand dollar (although it is not legal tender in New Zealand). The Pitcairn Islands dollar exists only because of the coin collecting market, which provides a major staple for the tiny island nation.

The coins are struck by various foreign mints and use internationally popular formats, such as the one troy ounce (1oz) of silver. Some of them are released at prices much higher than their intrinsic value - such as this one - so are classified as Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) (for those sold at a low margin, see the bullion silver ounce section instead).

This coin was issued to mark the Chinese Lunar Year of the Snake 2025 (29 January 2025 - 16 February 2026).

The mint says about it:
The Lunar New Year is one of the most spectacular and most important festivals of the year for many cultures across Asia. The date differs each year in accordance with the lunisolar calendar, based on the both the moon's phases and the Earth's orbit around the sun, each Lunar year is associated with an animal from the zodiac.

2025 marks the start of the Year of the Snake in the 12-year zodiac cycle. Symbolising wisdom, transformation, elegance and resilience, the Snake is thought to represent elegance, intuition, deep thinking and personal growth. Those born in the Year of the Snake are considered wise, enigmatic, charming and sympathetic.