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5 Dollars - Elizabeth II Oedipus and Sphinx
| Issuer | Niue |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ELIZABETH II NIUE FIVE DOLLARS IRB 2oz 2016 Ag 999 |
| Reverse description | Central scene depicting Oedipus seated at left in contemplative pose, wearing a traveller's broad-brimmed hat and draped garments, while the winged Sphinx perches upon an ornamental Ionic column at right, gazing down at him. A decorative floral element appears in the lower right field. The entire scene is rendered in selective gold plating against a black ruthenium background, evoking the style of ancient Greek red-figure pottery. The design is enclosed within a bold Greek key meander border, with cross motifs at the cardinal and ordinal points of the border ring. |
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| Additional information |
Niue has functioned since the 1990s as a licensed issuing platform for third-party numismatic programs, with New Zealand managing its external affairs while Niue's nominal sovereignty provides the legal basis for foreign-currency collector coins. This piece is part of a broader ancient mythology series produced for the international bullion and collector market — two troy ounces of fine silver with applied ruthenium and spot gilding, sold well above melt to a collector base that will never circulate it.
The combination of black ruthenium blackening and selective gold plating became a standard finishing technique among European mint contractors around 2012–2015, driven largely by the Polish Mint's commercial success with similar treatments on their own licensed issues.