| Coin | Silver Ounce 2013 Year of the Snake - Joy |
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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. Many of them are in standard bullion sizes, including one ounce of silver - such as this coin.
This coloured silver proof coin was issued to mark the Chinese 2013 Year of the Snake (10 February 2013 - 30 January 2014). It is named Joy. |
| Mint | B. H. Mayer |
Mint Mark | No mint mark |
Total Mintage |
7,500
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin 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, the date of issue and the value: ELIZABETH II COOK ISLANDS · FIVE DOLLARS - 1oz 999 silver ·.
The inscription also includes the metal content, one troy ounce of 99.9% silver. |
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| Reverse | |
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Within a beaded border, the coloured reverse design depicts a snake curled into the figure 8 (a symbol of luck in Chinese culture), on a background of floral motifs.
On four lines on the left, the inscription YEAR OF THE SNAKE, below which the year of issue 2013. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
YEAR OF THE SNAKE 2013 |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | Finish: proof, coloured.
Packaging: in presentation box, with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity from B.H. Mayer |
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