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2 Dollars - Elizabeth II Arctic Tern
| Issuer | Niue |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar of New Zealand (1987-date) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A densely composed naturalistic scene depicting a large flock of Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) in dynamic flight, filling the entire field of the coin. Select foreground birds are rendered in selectively applied color, featuring characteristic black caps, vivid red-orange bills, and pale blue-grey and white plumage, while the background birds are rendered in fine engraved relief in the silver field. The composition conveys a powerful sense of movement and aerial energy. The inscription '1 oz 999 Fine Silver' is incused along the upper right inner border. |
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| Additional information |
Niue's authority to issue legal tender coinage is governed by a 1967 agreement with New Zealand, which remains responsible for the island's defense and foreign affairs. The arrangement has made Niue one of the most prolific small-territory minting programs in the world, with the vast majority of its numismatic output produced by overseas mints — primarily the New Zealand Mint in Auckland — and never intended for domestic circulation on an island of fewer than 2,000 residents.
KM#1857 falls within a broader wildlife series. The Arctic Tern itself breeds as far north as the high Arctic and migrates to Antarctic waters annually — the longest migration of any known animal.