Catalog
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| Issuer | Niue |
|---|---|
| Year | 2012 |
| Type | Collector coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a faithful sculptural representation of the Imperial Fabergé 'Pansy Egg' (also known as the 'Jade Egg') of 1899, crafted in gold with enamel embellishment. The egg rests upon a base of carved gold leaves from which five pansy buds emerge, enameled in varying shades of purple. The interior of the egg, accessible by opening the upper portion, conceals a pearl-decorated gold heart bearing eleven strawberry-shaped medallions connected by a monogram of the letter 'M', each opening to reveal a portrait of a member of the Imperial family. A floral wreath encircling the Star of Bethlehem appears at the apex of the heart, with the completion year '1899' inscribed below. The reverse legend reads 'IMPERIAL FABERGÉ EGGS'. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Pansy Egg is one of a series of Niue-issued gold coins reproducing the Imperial Fabergé eggs, a line that trades directly on the prestige of objects made for the Romanov court between 1885 and 1916. The original Pansy Egg was presented by Tsar Nicholas II to his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, in 1899. Its whereabouts were unknown for decades after the Revolution before resurfacing in a private collection.
At 93.3 grams of .900 gold, the coin's weight is not incidental — it is scaled to carry a recessed enamel-inlay reproduction, a production constraint that dictated the unusually heavy flan.