2 Dollars 50 Cents - Charles III Bona Sforza

Charles III Bona Sforza — not the British monarch but the 16th-century Duke of Milan — ruled one of Renaissance Italy's most strategically contested territories until French and Spanish imperial ambitions effectively ended Sforza control of the duchy in 1535. His mother, Beatrice of Portugal, and his complicated loyalty negotiations between Habsburg and Valois factions defined a reign spent largely avoiding outright conquest. Niue's numismatic program has made a habit of such oblique historical subjects, issuing small-format gold pieces through licensing arrangements that have little connection to the island itself.