Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
10 Dollars - Elizabeth II 4th Portrait, Sauron, Gold Proof
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Fourth crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, as designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, depicted wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. The legend 'NEW ZEALAND ELIZABETH II' arcs around the upper periphery, with the designer's initials 'IRB' below the portrait truncation and the date '2003' at the base of the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A dramatic close-up rendition of Sauron, the Dark Lord from J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings', dominates the field, his imposing spiked armour rendered in high relief. Tengwar script inscriptions — evoking the One Ring inscription — curl elegantly across the upper and lower portions of the field in flowing lines. The denomination '$10' appears in the left-centre field. The overall composition captures the menacing grandeur of the character as depicted in Peter Jackson's film trilogy, with the design encircled by the coin's raised rim. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Issued under license from New Line Cinema during the global release window of *The Return of the King*, this coin was part of New Zealand's official Lord of the Rings bullion and proof program — a direct consequence of the films being shot entirely in New Zealand, which gave the government a commercial stake in the franchise's merchandising. The Reserve Bank issued several denominations tied to specific characters, with the villain pieces consistently commanding stronger secondary market premiums than the hero issues.
KM#271 is struck in 22-karat gold to the standard used across the series.