| Seal of Niue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armiger | Charles IIIin Right of New Zealand |
| Adopted | September 2021[1] |
| Motto | Atua, Niue Tukulagi (God, Niue Eternally) |
TheSeal of Niue, or thePublic Seal of Niue, is theofficial seal ofNiue. It was adopted in September 2021.[1] The first version of the seal was created in 1974 when Niue gained self-governing status and joined intofree association withNew Zealand.
Before 1974 Niue used theCoat of Arms of New Zealand. TheNiue Constitution Act, passed in 1974, provided for the first unique seal to be created for Niue. The Seal was to be held by theSpeaker of the Niue Assembly and was to be used to authenticate public documents or to affirm the creation of new laws by the Cabinet of Niue. The Speaker is also responsible for ensuring that the Seal is not misused.[2] All judicial notices in Niue are affixed with the Seal.[3] In 1977, after a request from the Niue Assembly, theParliament of New Zealand passed the Seal of New Zealand Act with an amendment relating to Niue to bring the design of the Public Seal of Niue into line with the other nations in theRealm of New Zealand.[4] Before 2007 the Seal of Niue was used inTokelau to confirm the passage of legislation. In 2007 the Tokelau Amendment Act 2007 was passed, which replaced the use of the Seal of Niue in Tokelau and substituted it with "under the hand of theAdministrator of Tokelau".[5]
TheNiuean Cabinet approved a new design for the Seal of Niue as per article 15 of theNiue Constitution, and theNiue Assembly passed an act for its use on 29 September 2021.[1] However, this design had already been used on theobverse of non-circulatingcommemorative coins produced for Niue by theNew Zealand Mint at least as early as 2019, as a substitute for the effigy of the late QueenElizabeth II.[6] It has continued to be used on coins issued since 2023 after the coronation ofCharles III.[7][8]
The 2021 design consists of acrown (representing thesovereign ashead of state), mounted on a blue outer circle in the form of a traditional Niueangarland of 14 seashells (representing the14 villages of Niue). The outer circle surrounds a green inner circle ofhiapo designs, representing thefonua (land), within which are stylised designs of a tree, representing life andtagata Niue (the people of Niue). This sits upon a scroll bearing the motto "Atua, Niue Tukulagi" (God, Niue Eternally) and twokatoua (cleaving clubs), representing defence and security. Between the outer and inner circles are the words "Public Seal of Niue".[1][9]
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The 1974 design of the Seal of Niue had at its centre thecoat of arms of New Zealand, which is ashield divided intoquarters. In the first quarter is theconstellation of theSouthern Cross, in the second a golden fleece, a sheaf of wheat in the third, and two crossed hammers in the fourth. Over the four-quarters in the centre appears a white band on which there are three blackships. The shield is supported bya woman dressed in a white robe carrying the flag of New Zealand, representing the population that descended from European immigrants (mainly British), and aMāori warrior armed with ataiaha, representing the indigenous population. At the head of the shield is a crown, and at the foot of the shield is a ribbon with the words "New Zealand". The seal was on a white circle, with "Public Seal of Niue" along the top, and "Niue" at the bottom.[10]
Media related toCoats of arms of Niue at Wikimedia Commons