Niue Roaring Lion

In 2018, Niue began producing another bullion coin series, the Niue Roaring Lion. While still a bullion series, the mintages for these coins will be limited unlike the Niue Athenian Owl. The symbolism of the Lion was imparted to the children of Jacob's youngest son, Judah, in the book of Genesis. Emblematic of all that is fierce, powerful, majestic, and influential, the Lion of Judah extends Lion's domain beyond the jungle and imparts these qualities to all those in association. 

This coin is part of the Truth Coin Series, produced by SD Bullion since 2018 and struck by Sunshine Minting, consisting of a Roaring Lion of Judah design and a Tree of Life design. In 2018, only the 1 Oz silver round was produced.  Five ounce versions were introduced in 2019 and in 2020 a 1 Oz Gold proof was minted.  Platinum 1 Oz proofs were introduced in 2021.  The silver coins are minted with .999 pure Silver. They are legal tender and bear a denomination of $2.

The reverse design for the first 2 years of the series depicted a standing lion roaring fiercely. The design was changed in 2020 to show only the lions head. The obverse is has remained consistent and depicts a portrait of Queen Elizabeth. The micro-graved "Truth" on the coins change every year, with each year having its own unique scripture featured on the coin. The Roaring Lion is released earlier in the year compared to the Tree of Life and features the first half the Truth with the Tree of Life featuring the second half of the Truth. In addition, the coins of the Truth Coin Series contain high-level features that protect against the production of counterfeits.

Silver Bullion Mintages

Design

Obverse: The obverse contains the familiar right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary in 1947. In use on commonwealth coins since her ascension to the throne of England in 1952, Her Majesty's portrait on these coins comes from Ian Rank-Broadley, and was designed in 1998 as the fourth-generation depiction. His initials "IRB" can be found below the portrait. Surrounding the effigy from lower left in a clockwise direction are the phrases "ELIZABETH II", "NIUE", and the denomination of "TWO DOLLARS". The date of issue is located at the bottom. The background is patterned with thin lines radiating from the center.

Reverse: The reverse of the coin depicts the head of a majestic roaring lion. The diadem contains the Hebrew letters את which are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The Aleph Tav is a symbol representative of both the covenant's leader and the unity of Judah's descendants. At the base of the diadem is a micro-engraved inscription which changes every year. The lion is surrounded by a decorative floral pattern with a frosted background. The weight, purity, and content of "ONE TROY OUNCE .9999 FINE SILVER" are inscribed at the bottom.