Silver Twenty-five Grams 2010 Fourth Crusade - Dandolo of Venice, Coin from Cook Islands - detailed information

The obverse of the coin shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait", by Ian Rank-Broadley). 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.

The portrait is in its "uncouped" version which extends below the neck and shows the Queen's shoulders. The designer's initials are not shown.

Around the effigy is the monarch's legend and the face value: ELIZABETH II COOK ISLANDS 5 DOLLARS.

The portrait of the Queen is in the lower part of the obverse. The upper part of the obverse, which is common for all coins in the series, depicts the silhouettes of two crusaders - the one on the left holding a large cross, and the one on the right an even larger banner with a cross on it. Around above, the name of the series: HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES.

The reverse depicts a Crusader army storming the walls of Constantinople, with its leader in the foreground on the right. Around above, the inscription FOURTH CRUSADE 1202.

In the exergue, the leader's name HENRICUS DANDULUS DOGE OF VENICE.

Below, a Jerusalem cross - also known as a "five-fold Cross", or "cross-and-crosslets", it consists of a large cross surrounded by four smaller Greek crosses, one in each quadrant; it was used as the emblem and coat of arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from the 1280s.

The cross divides the date of issue, 2010.

Finish: antique.
Packaging: in protective capsule and display box, with a Certificate of Authenticity.
NumisCollect Article ID: CK1006