Niue's legal tender coinage has functioned as a commercial vehicle for foreign mints since the 1990s, with the island's monetary agreement with New Zealand allowing it to license its sovereignty for collectible issues it will never circulate. This piece is part of that well-worn formula — a Perth Mint-style wildlife release aimed squarely at the thematic bullion market.
The quokka, endemic to Rottnest Island and a handful of Western Australian mainland sites, was named by Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh in 1696, who mistook it for a rat and named the island accordingly: "Rottnest" from the Dutch for rat's nest.
Niue's legal tender coinage has functioned as a commercial vehicle for foreign mints since the 1990s, with the island's monetary agreement with New Zealand allowing it to license its sovereignty for collectible issues it will never circulate. This piece is part of that well-worn formula — a Perth Mint-style wildlife release aimed squarely at the thematic bullion market.
The quokka, endemic to Rottnest Island and a handful of Western Australian mainland sites, was named by Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh in 1696, who mistook it for a rat and named the island accordingly: "Rottnest" from the Dutch for rat's nest.