2017-08-08 Tue

From 16th February 2018, the Year of the Dog in the Chinese lunar calendar will begin. Niue Islands collaborated with the Australian coin firm Downies released a coin on 30th July marking this event. An animal is assigned to every year as per the Chinese lunar calendar. People who are born during this period are believed to have characteristics of that particular animal.

This gold-plated Proof .999 fine silver high relief $8 coin celebrating the Year of the Dog weighs 5 ounces, has a mintage limit of 500 pieces and costs $525 Australian. The coin has selective gold-plating on the reverse which features three dogs. The largest of the three dogs has selective gold plating. The reverse depicts the Raphael Maklouf effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. The coins are numbered on the edge, comes in a timber case along with a numbered certificate of authenticity.