The Cook Islands, a sovereign state in free association with New Zealand, uses two official legal tender currencies. The New Zealand Dollar circulates in parallel with the local Cook Islands Dollar; at the same time, the government also authorises many legal tender coins in the Cook Islands Dollar currency for collector's purposes.
Collector coins are dedicated to historical or general popular culture themes not related to the country itself. Many of them are in standard bullion sizes based on the troy ounce, but some are metric - such as five grams of silver.
This coin marks the 40th anniversary of Iron Maiden's album Piece of Mind.
The mint says about it: Following the band’s chart-topping album "Number of The Beast", the pressure was on for Iron Maiden. However, their next release "Piece of Mind" in 1983 proved their ambition was unparalleled. Their 4th album was a critical and commercial success, reaching number three in the UK album charts and going platinum in the UK and North America. As a tribute to the 40th anniversary of "Piece of Mind", Eddie, Iron Maiden’s mascot, is featured on three exceptional issues. On a 2-ounce silver, a half-gram gold and a 5-gram silver note, he fights his shackles as an imprisoned maniac. |