Niue has long operated as a licensing vehicle for novelty bullion issues, with New Zealand managing its foreign affairs and the Cook Islands Monetary Board handling currency administration. The "Kitty" series — produced for the Asian collectibles market — was struck by a private mint under contract, a common arrangement that kept production costs off Niue's negligible budget. Surviving examples rarely show circulation wear for the obvious reason that no one spends a 2.5g gold coin in Alofi.
Niue has long operated as a licensing vehicle for novelty bullion issues, with New Zealand managing its foreign affairs and the Cook Islands Monetary Board handling currency administration. The "Kitty" series — produced for the Asian collectibles market — was struck by a private mint under contract, a common arrangement that kept production costs off Niue's negligible budget. Surviving examples rarely show circulation wear for the obvious reason that no one spends a 2.5g gold coin in Alofi.