2 Dollars - Elizabeth II Yuri Gagarin

Niue has issued commemorative silver dollars under licensing agreements since the 1990s, functioning effectively as a mint-for-hire for international themes with no domestic connection to the subject. This piece marks the 60th anniversary of Gagarin's April 12, 1961 Vostok 1 flight — the first human spaceflight, completing a single orbit in 108 minutes before Gagarin ejected and parachuted separately from the capsule, a detail the Soviets concealed for years because FAI rules required pilots to land with their craft.