1 Dollar - Elizabeth II Aries

Niue has operated as a prolific bullion and collector coin issuer since the 1990s, licensing its sovereign status to mint programs with virtually no connection to the island's 1,500-person population. The arrangement is straightforwardly fiscal — New Zealand administers Niue's external affairs, and the coin revenue flows accordingly.

This piece belongs to a zodiac series, a format that has saturated the collector silver market since at least the early 2000s. One troy ounce of .999 silver is the mechanical fact that gives it whatever floor value it holds.