| Coin | Silver Half Kilo 2012 HMS Bounty |
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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 or for investment.
Many of these are in standard bullion sizes, including the large half kilogram of silver format.
This coin is part of a large range of bullion coins and bars featuring HMS Bounty.
HMS Bounty, also known as His Majesty's Armed Vessel (HMAV) Bounty, is one of the most well-known sailing vessels in human history, and for all the wrong reasons. Originally built as a private merchant vessel, it was sold to the Royal Navy near the end of the War of American Independence and made just one voyage as part of the Royal Navy.
Before it was known as the HMS Bounty, the ship was built in 1784 in Hull, Yorkshire, England, at the Blaydes shipyard. The small merchant vessel was commissioned as the Bethia and operated for three years as a private vessel. In May 1787, the ship was sold to the Royal Navy and recommissioned as the HMS Bounty. The ship would go on to make just one infamous voyage in its history. The HMS Bounty was placed under the command of William Bligh upon its commission into the Royal Navy in 1787 and sent to the South Pacific on a botanical mission. The aim of this mission was to acquire breadfruit plants to transport to the British West Indies. It met an infamous end in the course of this expedition as a mutiny led by Fletcher Christian succeeded in taking control of the ship. The HMS Bounty met its doom elsewhere, but during its voyage passed through the Cook Islands.
The descendants of the mutineers and their Tahitian captives now live on Pitcairn Island. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.
In small letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).
Around the effigy is the monarch's legend and the date: ELIZABETH II COOK ISLANDS 2012.
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse of the coin shows the sailing ship HMS Bounty (also known as HMAV Bounty), sailing to left, flying the British ensign.
Below, the face value 15 DOLLARS.
Around below, the precious metal content 500 g FINE SILVER 999.9 (half kilogram of 99.99% silver). |
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| Reverse Inscription |
15 DOLLARS 500 g FINE SILVER 999.9 |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | The portrait of the Queen looks like an unauthorised re-cut of the original.
No primary information is available for this coin series. It seems that it was initiated by Heimerle + Meule in Germany, where coins and bars were issued until 2013 (this coin for example comes with a certificate from Heimerle + Meule). After 2014, the coins are issued by Sunshine Minting in the US, while some of the bars are manufactured not only by Sunshine Minting, but also by a number of different other companies (including Heimerle + Meule). |
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| See also |
Bullion coins and bars featuring HMS Bounty:
- 1 oz Palladium, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 1 oz Platinum, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 1 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 1 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2020
- 1 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 1 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2022
- 1/2 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 1/4 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 1/10 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 1/10 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2020
- 1/10 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 1/10 oz Gold, HMS Bounty, 2022
- 5 kg Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2008
- 5 kg Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2014
- 100 oz Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2008
- 1 kg Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2008
- 1 kg Silver, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 1 kg Silver, HMS Bounty, 2012
- 1 kg Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2014
- 1 kg Silver, HMS Bounty, 2020
- 1 kg Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2020
- 1 kg Silver, HMS Bounty, 2022
- 500 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2011
- 500 g Silver, HMS Bounty, 2012
- 500 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2017
- 10 oz Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 250 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2011
- 250 g Silver, HMS Bounty, 2012
- 250 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2015
- 250 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2017
- 250 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2020
- 100 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 100 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2015
- 100 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2017
- 100 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2020
- 2 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2020
- 50 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2017
- 50 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2009
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2010
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2011
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2013
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2014
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2015
- 1 oz Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2015
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty (Old Design), 2016
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty (New Design), 2016
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty (Old Design), 2017
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty (New Design), 2017
- 1 oz Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2017
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2018
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2019
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2020
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 1 oz Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2022
- 1 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2023
- 20 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2017
- 20 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 10 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2017
- 10 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 1/4 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2012
- 1/4 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2015
- 1/4 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 5 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2017
- 5 g Silver Bar, HMS Bounty, 2021
- 1/10 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2012
- 1/10 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2015
- 1/10 oz Silver, HMS Bounty, 2021
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