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, including the large three ounces of silver format - such as this coin.
The Mint says about this coin: The "Hansel and Gretel" coin is the third issue in the "Fairytales and Fables" series. It is struck using the enhanced ultra high relief Smartminting technology and brings the story to life. The coin has an antique finish, is partly coloured and is struck on a 3 oz pure silver 50mm blank in the highest quality. It has a limited mintage of only 333 pcs worldwide and comes in a beautiful box with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Hansel and Gretel are characters in a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. The fairy tale was published in the 19th century in Grimm’s Fairy Tales. It has been a very popular fairy tale ever since, influencing multiple cultural phenomena.
The fairy tale depicts a brother, Hansel, travelling to an abandoned forest together with his sister Gretel. There they find a house made of gingerbread, cake, and other kinds of candy. Inside they meet a witch - a cannibalistic witch. The witch intends to fatten the siblings by feeding them candy so she can consume and savour the children. However, after Gretel manages to outwit the witch, the siblings can escape with the witch’s treasure and return home. |