1 oz Samurai Silver Coin

Samurai were a caste of warriors in medieval and early-modern Japan. The first identification of this term came in the Kokin Wakashu, a series of imperial anthology of poems collected between 905 and 914. The term samurai was derived from the Chinese character that mean “to wait upon,” and originally translated to Japanese as saburau.

In terms of their place in Japanese society, the samurai were the military nobility and office caste of the ancient feudal system of life in Japan. Samurai were noted for their excellent skills in battle and fierce devotion to the cause, opting to die on the field of battle, even at their own hand, rather than surrender.

On the reverse of the 2016 1 oz Niue Silver Warriors of History Samurai Coin you’ll find the image of a Samurai warrior in his traditional armor. Samurai were known to wear full armor, including shields over their faces with frightening imagery.

The obverse of all Warriors of History coins from the New Zealand Mint feature the right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The ruling monarch of Britain since 1952, Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest reigning monarch of the nation, surpassing the reign of her own grandmother Queen Victoria.