Coin Highlights:
- 9th issue of the Hawksbill Turtle coin design!
- Contains 1/2 Troy oz of .999 pure silver in BU condition.
- Bears a face value of $1 (NZD) backed by the government of Niue.
- Obverse features Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy.
- Reverse includes the image of the hawksbill turtle.
Each 2018 1/2 oz New Zealand Silver $1 Niue Hawksbill Turtle Coin in this listing is available in BU condition. Coins in BU condition exhibit no signs of wear and tear, though you may notice minor flaws from the coining process. These flaws are limited to breaks in the luster, spotted surfaces, and contact marks.
Hawksbill turtles are a species of sea tortoise found only in tropical waters. The range of these turtles around the globe is vast, stretching from the tropical South Pacific through the warmer waters of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans as well. The hawksbill was a natural choice for this coin species as it makes a yearly trek between the islands of Fiji and New Zealand’s North Island each year for mating season.
On the obverse of all Niue Hawksbill Turtle Coins you’ll find a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. All commonwealth coins bear the monarch’s image on the obverse, and these particular coins have the fourth-generation right-profile image of Her Majesty. This design was created for coinage in 1998 by Ian Rank-Broadley.
The reverse of the 2018 1/2 oz New Zealand Silver Niue Hawksbill Turtle coin features the sea tortoise as it is depicted swimming through the bubbly waters of the Pacific Ocean. The creatures earned the name hawksbill because of their sharp, curved beak that resembles that of a hawk or other predatory bird.
Niue Hawksbill Turtle Coins are a product of the New Zealand Mint. A private minting company in Auckland, the New Zealand Mint is the only facility of its kind in New Zealand, but is not associated with the federal government in any way.