Silver Two Ounces 2017 Gods of Olympus - Demeter, Coin from Cook Islands - detailed information

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 two ounces of silver format - such as this coin.

This coin is part of a twelve-coin set issued as a sort of continuation of the Perth Mints Gods of Olympus series issued in 2014 (featuring Zeus, Poseidon and Hades), followed by the Goddesses of Olympus series issued in 2015 (Hera, Athena and Aphrodite); these were both issued under the authority of Tuvalu, but the continuation was issued for the Cook Islands.

The coin depicts Demeter (Attic: Δημήτηρ; Doric: Δαμάτηρ) - the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food and the fertility of the earth. Although she is mostly known as a grain goddess, she also appeared as a goddess of health, birth, marriage, and had connections to the Underworld. She is also called Deo (Δηώ). In Greek tradition, Demeter is the second child of the Titans Rhea and Cronus, and sister to Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. Like her other siblings but Zeus, she was swallowed by her father as an infant, and rescued by Zeus. By her brother Zeus she became the mother of Persephone, a goddess of fertility.

Her Roman counterpart was the goddess Ceres.

The coin has antique finish and a rimless design (which extends to the edge without a border).