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!
2 Dollars - Charles III Argonath
| Issuer | Niue |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Dollars |
| 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 | The Public Seal of Niue occupies the central field, depicting a native tree within a decorative circular border surmounted by a royal crown, flanked on either side by a traditional Niuean rope motif forming a wreath-like surround. Two crossed paddles appear below the seal, beneath a scroll bearing the Niuean motto ATUA NIUE TUKULAGI. The denomination legend TWO DOLLARS arcs along the upper periphery, while the date 2023 is inscribed at the base of the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Two colossal stone statues known as the Argonath, iconic figures from J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium as depicted in the New Line Productions film adaptation, are rendered in high relief across the full field. The left figure, helmeted and armoured, raises one hand in a commanding gesture of warning, while the right, bearded and crowned, likewise raises a hand in salute, both rising dramatically from a rocky riverbank rendered with intricate texture. The composition conveys monumental scale and cinematic grandeur in an antiqued finish. The legend arcing along the upper border reads the copyright and trademark notice along with the silver specification. |
| 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 |
Niue has long served as a vehicle for novelty bullion issues licensed from major entertainment properties, and this piece falls squarely into that commercial tradition. The Argonath — the twin colossal statues from Tolkien's fiction, rendered prominent in Peter Jackson's 2001 film adaptation — provided the thematic hook. New Zealand Mint struck the piece under license from Middle-earth Enterprises, the Saul Zaentz-founded company that has held Tolkien film and merchandise rights since 1976, separate from the Tolkien Estate's own literary controls.