Gainesville debut Guardian Angel, a new silver bullion coin series.

Silver bullion coin choices are growing again with the debut of another issue from Pacific island nation, Niue. Long a favourite in numismatic circles, this tiny country has given birth to many new silver bullion coins of late, but his one in particular has come as something of a pleasant surprise.

Exclusive to US bullion dealer Gainesville Coins, it has a design firmly grounded in classic numismatic artwork. Depicting a guardian angel protecting a child, the style has distinct shades of American Eagle, Britannia and Libertad, with its depiction of a strong, iconic female persona, resplendant in flowing robe and classic pose. The surrounding detail, the doves and sky hinting at heavenly influence, fits right in with the overall theme.

The obverse is more mundane, the usual effigy of Queen Elizabeth II that is required for a Niue issue, although the chosen Raphael Maklouf portrait is a nicer one for this coin in our view than the later, more realistic portraits of Ian Rank Broadley and Jody Clark.

It’s only available in a one-ounce format so far, with no sign of other sizes, but that’s fairly typical these days. We’ve yet to hear back on the mintage of this one, but the coin is being billed as the first in a series, so we can surely expect some different artwork as it progresses, potentially formaing an attractive set. No actual coin images yet, but the design looks very well done and we’d expect the finished article to be of a high standard. More when we know.