Coin | Silver Ounce 2015 Meteorite NWA 4037 |
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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 coin featuring chondrite (stony) Meteorite NWA 4037 is part of the Meteorite Impacts collection which is issued in a number of different countries; all coins in it have an embedded original piece of the specific meteorite.
The Mint says about it: NWA 4037 identifies several meteorites which were found in 2005 in Northwest Africa, more precisely in Morocco. The number in the description is given chronologically and is noted behind the abbreviation of the place they were found. The findings in Morocco stem from multiple falls. The meteorite shattered into several parts through the force created when entering the earth’s atmosphere. This process commonly occurs with stone meteorites such as the NWA 4037. |
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Obverse | |
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 tiny letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).
Around the effigy is the monarch's legend and the face value: ELIZABETH II COOK ISLANDS 5 DOLLARS.
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Reverse | |
The reverse represents, in high relief, a meteorite impact crater. A piece of the actual meteorite has been embedded at the centre of its surface.
Around above, the inscription CHONDRITE IMPACT - NWA 4037. Around below, the date of issue 2015. |
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Reverse Inscription |
CHONDRITE IMPACT - NWA 4037 2015 |
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Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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Notes | Finish: antique, meteorite insert. CIT Item ID: 27458 |
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See also |
Coins in the Meteorite Impacts collection include: - 2 oz Silver, Meteorite NWA 267, (Liberia) 2004 - 1 oz Silver, Meteorite NWA 4037, (Cook Islands) 2015 - 1/2 oz Silver, Tamdakht Meteorite, (Cook Islands) 2016 - 1/2 oz Silver, Chergach Meteorite, (Cook Islands) 2017 - 1/2 oz Silver, Erfoud Meteorite NWA 6827, (Cook Islands) 2018 - 1/2 oz Silver, Estacado Meteorite, (Cook Islands) 2019 - 1 oz Silver, Viñales Meteorite, (Cook Islands) 2020 - 1 oz Silver, La Ciénega Meteorite, (Cook Islands) 2021
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