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50 Cents - Elizabeth II The Sombrero Galaxy
| Issuer | Niue |
|---|---|
| Year | 2015 |
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| 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 |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a dramatic colorized design depicting a stylized female figure in dynamic motion, rendered in gold relief against a deep black enamel field suggestive of the cosmos. Radiating orbital lines and astronomical notations, including astrological and scientific symbols, arc across the field, evoking the structure of the Sombrero Galaxy (Messier 104). A luminous glow at the base of the field represents the galactic core. The two-part legend THE SOMBRERO and GALAXY is inscribed in the field to the left and right of the central figure respectively, flanked by rows of small stars. |
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| Reverse lettering | THE SOMBRERO GALAXY |
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| Additional information |
Niue's numismatic program has operated since the 1970s primarily as a revenue-generating exercise for the island territory, which has a resident population of under 2,000 and no meaningful domestic coin circulation. The Sombrero Galaxy piece belongs to a prolific run of gold-plated brass collector issues produced under licensing arrangements with the New Zealand Mint, where the actual striking takes place — not on Niue itself.
The Sombrero Galaxy (Messier 104) sits roughly 31 million light-years from Earth in Virgo and was first catalogued by Pierre Méchain in 1781.