Niue's commemorative program has long functioned as a vehicle for the New Zealand Mint, which produces these issues under licensing arrangements that have little to do with the island's 1,600-person economy. The Queen's 90th birthday in April 2016 generated a wave of commemorative output across Commonwealth and associated territories, most of it aimed squarely at the gift and collector market rather than numismatists.
Gold-plated copper at this size occupies an awkward category — too heavy for casual display, insufficiently precious for serious collectors. KM#1649 is essentially a medallion assigned a nominal face value to satisfy legal tender formalities.
Niue's commemorative program has long functioned as a vehicle for the New Zealand Mint, which produces these issues under licensing arrangements that have little to do with the island's 1,600-person economy. The Queen's 90th birthday in April 2016 generated a wave of commemorative output across Commonwealth and associated territories, most of it aimed squarely at the gift and collector market rather than numismatists.
Gold-plated copper at this size occupies an awkward category — too heavy for casual display, insufficiently precious for serious collectors. KM#1649 is essentially a medallion assigned a nominal face value to satisfy legal tender formalities.