2055) "Tiger II (or 'Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B' - World War II"), Niue Island: Second Coin in a $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD) Silver Coin Series - titled "Confrontation", minted by Volga-Vyatka Mint, (Numisart Mint) on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

2055) "Tiger II (or 'Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B' - World War II"), Niue Island: Second Coin in a $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD) Silver Coin Series - titled "Confrontation", minted by Volga-Vyatka Mint, (Numisart Mint) on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

The "King Tiger" is the second Coin in this Series titled "Confrontation", after the IS-2 kickstarted this Coin Series. 

The German "Konigstiger", (also called the "King Tiger" or the "Tiger II AusfB"), was the pinnacle of operational tank design in the Wehrmacht. 

About the "Tiger II":

The Tiger II was a German heavy tank of the Second World War. 

The final official German designation was "Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B" (often shortened to Tiger B.)

 The ordnance inventory designation was "Sd.Kfz. 182"  (Sd.Kfz. 267 and 268 for command vehicles).

 It was known as "King Tiger" by Allied soldiers, and is also known under the informal name "Königstiger" (the German name for the Bengal tiger which translates literally as "Royal Tiger"). 

The Tiger II was the successor to the Tiger I, combining the latter's thick armour with the armour sloping used on the Panther medium tank. 

The tank weighed almost 70 tonnes, and was protected by 100.00 mm to 185.00 mm (3.9 inches to 7.3 inches) of armour to the front. It was armed with the long barrelled 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 anti-tank cannon. The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turretless Jagdpanzer anti-tank vehicle.

The Tiger II was issued to heavy tank battalions of the Army and the Waffen-SS. 

It was first used in combat by 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion during the Allied invasion of Normandy on 11 July 1944. 

On the Eastern Front, the first unit to be outfitted with the Tiger II was the 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion, which by 01.09.1944 had 25 Tiger IIs in operation.

Greatly feared, despite under 500 tanks having been built and a limited deployment, it met with limited success, primarily due to its heavy weight and small numbers. 

Nevertheless, this tank in operations managed to garner itself a feared reputation. Claims of kill ratios of 10:1 on the Eastern Front were not unheard of, and many of the Tiger II’s were lost to mechanical problems rather than artillery/in combat. 

The Coin:

The second Coin focusses on the tanks deployed on the Eastern Front during WWII. As a predominantly ground war, the spearhead of the battlefield were the armoured divisions, used to spearhead penetrating attacks which would be followed up by the infantry.

The technological advantage swung between the two sides, culminating on the Soviet side with the IS-2 in early 1944.

 

On the Reverse of the $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD) Silver Coin is depicted a "Tiger II" Battle-tank, with spare tracks, hatch handles, gun mantlet and Zimmerit anti-mine paste application.

This Tank is set in a defensive position outside the Reichstag in Berlin for the final defence. One can see soldiers with an anti-tank gun in front.

The gilded star represents the highest German Award.

The Coin is inscribed "CONFRONTATION" at the bottom.

On the Obverse of the $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD) Silver Coin is depicted a battle timeline map of the "OPERATION SPRING AWAKENING", the last major offensive by the Germans in WWII. 

It took place in Hungary and was an attempt to secure oil supplies and protect Vienna, but was unsuccessful. 

At upper left is featured the "PUBLIC SEAL OF NIUE".

On the lower periphery is inscribed - "TEN DOLLARS. NIUE. 2021. Ag 999".

The specifications of this Coin are:

Country of issue: Niue Island; Year: 2021; Coin Series Theme: "Confrontation"; Coin Theme: "Tiger II" Tank - World War II"; Denomination/Face Value: $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD); Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 2.0 Oz or 62.2 grams; Diameter/Size: 45.0 mm; Coin Quality: Antique Finish; Minted By: Numisart/VVMD; Mintage: 200 pieces; Special Technique: Ultra High Relief, Gilding; Presentation Box/Case: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes; Encapsulated: Yes; Serially Numbered: Yes from 001 to 200.

The second coin of the series titled "CONFRONTATION". The blackening was sanded by hand, at a strong magnification it looks like micro-scratches, which is not a defect!

Posts on the Tank Museum, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India and similar posts on this Blog:

1) Did You Know Series (45): (Part I): A visit to the "Cavalry Tank Museum"(CTM) at Ahmednagar, Maharashtra India was an educational walk down memory lane of the history of various Tanks used in India and abroad over the Ages: i) The Emblem & Code of the Cavalier ii) The Visit to the CTM

2) Did You Know Series (45): (Part II): A visit to the "Cavalry Tank Museum" (CTM) at Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India, was an educational walk down memory lane of the history of various Tanks used in India and abroad over the Ages: I) Tank variants; ii) A brief history of the valour of the valiant ment & Indian armour during the 1965 Indo-Pak War

3) Did You Know Series (45):( Part III) : A visit to the "Cavalry Tank Museum" (CTM) at Ahmednagar, Maharashtra India, was an educational walk down memory lane of the history of various Tanks used in India and Abroad over the Ages: i) History of the Indian Cavalry; ii) Some 20th Century Battle Tanks; iii) Amphibious Light Tanks

4) Did You Know Series (45):( Part IV):A visit to the "Cavalry Tank Museum"(CTM) at Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India, was an educational walk down memory lane of the history of various Tanks unsed in India and abroad over the Ages: i) Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs); ii) Battle Tanks, including the German Tiger (WWII) and the Centurion (used in the famous Battle of Basantar (Indo-Pak War 1971)

5) Did You Know Series (45): (Part V): The Bhima-Koregaon Mamorial Pillar (Obelisk) commemorating a Battle fought on 01.01.1818 between the Peshwa Army and the British Army as a part of the Third Anglo-Maratha War

"Confrontation" Coin Series:

1) "Soviet Heavy Tank IS-2 - World War II", Niue Island: First Coin in a $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD) Silver Coin Series - titled "Confrontation", minted by Volga-Vyatka Mint, (Numisart Mint) on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021

2) "Tiger II (or Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B" - World War II"), Niue Island: Second Coin in a $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD) Silver Coin Series - titled "Confrontation", minted by Volga-Vyatka Mint, (Numisart Mint) on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021