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. Many of them are in standard bullion sizes, including one ounce of silver - such as this coin.
This coin is the second issue in a Perth Mint series of coloured silver ounces commemorating Famous Naval Battles and features the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
The Battle of Jutland (German: Skagerrakschlacht, the Battle of Skagerrak) was a naval battle fought between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, during the First World War. The battle unfolded in extensive manoeuvring and three main engagements (the battlecruiser action, the fleet action and the night action), from 31 May to 1 June 1916, off the North Sea coast of Denmark's Jutland Peninsula. It was the largest naval battle and the only full-scale clash of battleships in that war. Jutland was the third fleet action between steel battleships, following the Battle of the Yellow Sea in 1904 and the decisive Battle of Tsushima in 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War. Jutland was the last major battle in world history fought primarily by battleships.
Both sides claimed victory. The British lost more ships and twice as many sailors but succeeded in containing the German fleet. |
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The coin’s reverse portrays HMS Iron Duke, the British Grand Fleet flagship which played a significant role at Jutland, behind which the silhouettes of three naval guns. In the background, which is coloured, the representation of an Iron Duke class dreadnought.
The Perth Mint's mint mark P is on the right. On the ship's bow, in small letters the designer's initials DB, for Darryl Bellotti.
Around below, the inscription BATTLE OF JUTLAND 1916. |
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