The amazing Canyon Diablo meteorite is predestined to be immortalised on this very interesting coin issued by Niue Island with an authentic fragment of meteorite inlaid. It depicts the very famous Meteor Crater created by the meteorite impact about 50,000 years ago in Arizona, USA.

The Canyon Diablo meteorite comprises many fragments of the asteroid that impacted at Barringer Crater (Meteor Crater), Arizona, USA. Meteorites have been found around the crater rim, and are named for nearby Canyon Diablo, which lies about three to four miles west of the crater. The asteroid fell about 50,000 years ago. The meteorites have been known and collected since the mid-19th century and were known and used by pre-historic Native Americans. The Barringer Crater, from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, was the center of a long dispute over the origin of craters that showed little evidence of volcanism. That debate was settled in the 1950s thanks to Eugene Shoemaker's study of the crater. In 1953, Clair Cameron Patterson measured ratios of the lead isotopes in samples of the meteorite. The result permitted a refinement of the estimate of the age of the Earth to 4.550 billion years (± 70 million years).

The obverse features the portrait of Her Majesty Elizabeth II surrounded by the inscriptions: the Queen’s name, the face value of the coin, its issuing country and year.

The reverse is a small replica of the Meteor Crater – a huge hole about three quarters of a mile wide and 600 feet deep. It’s believed to be 20,000 and 40,000 years old. Modern settlers did not discover meteor crater until the 1870s. A piece of the real Canyon Diablo Meteorite is the centerpiece of the reverse making the coin a real treasure for those hunting for meteorites and unique coins. Such pieces  are among the most historically significant meteorites available to collectors. By some estimates, the fireball weighed about 50,000 tons! Be one of the lucky 666 owners of the Canyon Diablo Meteorite and make your collection unique!

Сountry:	Niue
Data of issue:	June, 2014
Face value:	1 Dollar
Metal:	Silver .999
Weight:	31,1 g
Diameter:	38,61 mm
Quality:	Antique finish
Mintage:	666 pcs