Sidabrinė moneta „HANSEL AND GRETEL“

The coin’s illustration is based on the Brothers Grimm’s charming and instructive story of Hansel and Gretel. Woven together with threads of courage and hardship, this tale takes us to a magical world where a mysterious gingerbread house stands in an old forest, beneath the softly rustling leaves of the trees. In that house, a wicked witch is plotting her evil plans and the little brother and sister fall into her trap. Within the sweet walls of the magical house, a thrilling battle of wits is taking place – Hansel and Gretel must use all their courage and ingenuity to outwit the evil witch.

The coin depicts the fateful moment in the fairy tale when wandering in the woods, a hungry and tired brother and sister suddenly discover the wicked witch’s house, and when they see what it is made of, they start eating it. The front of the house beckons with sweet gingerbread, colourful sweets and many other treats. Hansel and Gretel being very hungry and unable to resist this temptation, don’t hesitate to indulge.

The reverse of the coin shows Hansel standing next to the house, already starting to gnaw on the door, and his sister Gretel nearby, standing on a biscuit and holding a delicious large waffle in her hands. On the left side of the house are candied ladders that the children can use to climb higher, and on the roof you can see a black cat, the witch’s faithful companion. Around the house is a dense and mysterious forest. On the left, an owl is watching the scene, hidden in a hollow tree, and on the right, you can see the terrifying face of the Wicked Witch.

The obverse of the coin bears the stylized coat of arms of Niue. At the bottom of the coin crossed katoua fighting sticks can be seen – the symbol of the Niue island, and above them is the island’s motto ‘atua Niue tukulagi’. The obverse is also decorated with biscuits in various patterns, echoing the motif seen in the reverse illustration.

Hansel and Gretel is a timeless story about the strong bond between brother and sister, courage, ingenuity and the triumph of good over evil.