2021 $2 Niue - Tetris: St. Basil's Cathedral - NGC PF69UC (1oz Silver)
- Grading Service: Numismatic Guaranty Corporation - NGC
- Grade: Proof 69 Ultra Cameo - PF69UC
- Certification: Various
- Country: Niue
- Queen: Elizabeth II (1952-Date)
- Type: Non-Circulating Coin
- Years: 2021
- Denomination: 2 NZD
- Currency: New Zealand Dollar (1987-Date)
- Composition: .999 Silver
- Diameter: 39mm
- Weight: 31.1g
- Edge: Reeded
- Mintage: 10,000
- Obverse: Public Seal of Niue; Tetris grid above, purity & denomination below
- Reverse: St. Basil's Cathedral from earlier versions of the Tetris game
In 1984, the Tetris game was born from the imagination of computer programmer Alexey Pajitnov. Inspired by his favorite puzzle board game, Pentominos, Pajitnov created an electronic game that let players arrange puzzle pieces in real time as they fell from the top of the playing field. The resulting design was a game that used seven distinctive geometric playing pieces, each made up of four squares. Pajitnov called this game “Tetris,” a combination of “tetra” (the Greek word meaning “four”) and “tennis” (his favorite sport).
St. Basil's Cathedral is an Orthodox church in Moscow's historic Red Square. Constructed in the 1500s, the cathedral remains one of the most popular cultural symbols of Russia. An image of St. Basil's Cathedral can be found on the opening screen of early versions of the Tetris game, paying homage to the country in which it was created.
In the Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System versions of the beloved game, a rocket launched if a player accrued enough points. The size of the rocket increased according to the player's score. However, those with the best scores launched St. Basil’s Cathedral into space.
Commemorate the 37th year of the iconic Tetris video game, with this APMEXclusive 1 oz Silver BU coin. Each coin features the famous St. Basil's Cathedral as depicted in an earlier version of the Tetris game. Mintages are very limited!
*Coin condition is based on our professional opinion. Pictures are representative of the coin that you will receive, actual coin may differ slightly, and serial numbers may vary*