The New Zealand Mint continues its transition from their old to some new series of non-licensed coins with the debut of the first in the Great Migrations range. This looks to be a very interesting series if the first coin is any indication, choosing to focus on animal behaviour rather the creature itself as is so often the case. Produced in an ounce of fine silver, the coin benefits from being predominantly clean struck with just a small area of colouring as a highlight.

Depicting the mass migration of Zebras across the Serengeti, this massive migratory act involves more than two million of these enigmatic animals travelling around 500 miles in a huge clockwise movement to Kenya and back again. Usually taking place in June when the dry season arrives, they return to their original pastures in November. A tough journey that involves crossing two Nile Crocodile infested rivers, the Mara and Grumeti, and fighting off the usual big cats and predatory canines, it remains one of natures biggest spectacles.

The coin is a good one, plenty of detail and not encumbered with too many inscriptions, most being on the obverse, out of the way where they belong. The colouring is very well applied, I wouldn’t personally have chosen the zebra at top-left to colour, perhaps going one zebra lower and applying it there, but that’s a strictly personal observation and you’ll likely feel differently. Irrespective, a great first effort that bodes well for the series – another one we saw in Berlin being equally well done will be out later this year we believe. The packaging is a real highlight, one of the best themed boxes we’ve seen for ages. Despite the NZ Mint moving more towards standard-style coin boxes for much of their output, the past masters of innovative packaging clearly still have it. Selling for $80.00 USD, it should be available for pre-order today from the mints webstore, or from dealers worldwide (Powercoin have it up already).

MINT DESCRIPTION

The reverse of the coin features an engraved illustration of a zeal of migrating zebras in their Serengeti habitat, with a few zebras highlighted in colour in the forefront. On the bottom of the coin, the inscription: “1 Oz 999 FINE SILVER” (the weight and the fineness of the Silver). The obverse of the coin depicts the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. All around the inscriptions: “ELIZABETH II”, “NIUE” (issue country), “TWO DOLLARS” (face value), “2016” (year of issue).

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SPECIFICATION