What do you associate the circus with? For many, it’s a place full of excitement, color and laughter, where even the deepest desires and dreams can come true… It’s also a home for those who have unique, almost magical abilities: here, a clown rides a bicycle on a thin rope, a graceful acrobat performs his pirouettes on a trapeze, and a gleeful juggler demonstrates how many clubs he can throw while swinging on a ball. All these skills are embodied by the protagonist of ‘Pastel Circus’ – the red-nosed Clown, whose symbolic transformation into a bird is evident on all the coins in the series.

The silver collectible coin ‘Rising’ has an antique finish quality and a digitally-printed reverse. The obverse is framed by a circus stage curtain showing a rising balloon and a public seal of Niue in the centre. Below, two katoua cleaving clubs – the symbol of Niue – are crossed, and the island’s motto, ‘atua Niue tukulagi’, is written above them.