Silver Two Ounces 2017 Gods of Olympus - Hephaestus, 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 Hephaestus (Greek: Ἥφαιστος), the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanoes. Hephaestus's Roman counterpart is Vulcan. In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was either the son of Zeus and Hera or he was Hera's parthenogenous child. He was cast off Mount Olympus by his mother Hera because of his lameness, the result of a congenital impairment; or in another account, by Zeus for protecting Hera from his advances (in which case his lameness would have been the result of his fall rather than the reason for it).

As a smithing god, Hephaestus made all the weapons of the gods in Olympus. He served as the blacksmith of the gods, and was worshipped in the manufacturing and industrial centres of Greece, particularly Athens. The cult of Hephaestus was based in Lemnos. Hephaestus's symbols are a smith's hammer, anvil, and a pair of tongs.

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