2018 Niue 2 Dollar 1-oz Silver Athenian Owl NGC MS69

Honoring One of the Most Influential Coins of All Time

The ancient Greeks set the foundation for modern philosophy, while also making important contributions and advances in math, medicine, and other fields. Many of their city-states focused more on cultural and educational development than warfare, which was the purview of most other ancient civilizations. Not surprisingly, the Greeks developed symbols for these subjects. One such symbol was the owl, which appeared opposite Athena, the goddess of wisdom, on the Tetradrachm, a popular coin. Today, the owl continues to serve as a symbol of wisdom throughout the Western world. This 2018 Niue 1-oz Silver Athenian Owl coin pays homage to the owl’s role as a symbol of wisdom, as well as its important place on the Tetradrachm.

• HOMAGE TO AN ICON – This 2018 Niue Silver Athenian Owl coin pays homage to a classic coin of the ancient world, the Tetradrachm, which makes it perfect for collectors who have an appreciation of numismatic history.

• PURE SILVER – Each 2018 Niue Silver Athenian Owl was struck from 1-oz of 99.9% fine silver at the New Zealand Mint, one of the world’s best reputed mints.

• NIUE LEGAL TENDER – This Athenian Owl coin is two dollars legal tender in the country of Niue, as noted on the obverse along with Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait. Niue is an island nation in the South Pacific that is known for its coral reef and limestone cliffs.

• CERTIFIED VIRTUALLY FLAWLESS -- Your coin will be graded Mint State-69 (MS69) by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), a distinction that means your almost-flawless coin will showcase an impressive full strike and indistinguishable imperfections -- well above and beyond the quality of the vast majority of coins in the series.

• STACKABLE – Each Athenian Owl coin has a reeded edge that is designed to ensure that each one fits into the next, making these coins easily stackable and storable.  While this feature is fairly common among rounds, it is a rare find on coins.

Coins offer collectors the opportunity to connect with the past, to ponder the lives of those who lived hundreds or thousands of years earlier, to marvel at the possibilities of who may have handled a particular coin and what it may have purchased. It is fitting, then, that the New Zealand Mint would pay homage to a historical coin with a modern one, which is precisely what it did with this 2018 Niue $2 1-oz Silver Athenian Owl. The reverse features the owl, an ancient symbol of truth and wisdom, as well as the inscription “AOE” (“ALETHIA ORNO ETERNIA,” which translates to “Truth, Honor, Forever”). Like the Tetradrachm of ancient Greece, this 2018 Silver Athenian Owl coin will soon be history, so don’t miss your chance to order it at GovMint.com!