Silver Two Ounces 2017 Gods of Olympus - Hermes, 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 Hermes (Greek: Ἑρμῆς) - the herald of the gods. He was also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orators. He was able to move quickly and freely between the worlds of the mortal and the divine, aided by his winged sandals. Hermes was also a conductor of souls into the afterlife. His attributes and symbols include the herma, the rooster, the tortoise, satchel or pouch, talaria (winged sandals), and winged helmet or simple petasos, as well as the palm tree, goat, the number four, several kinds of fish, and incense. However, his main symbol is the caduceus, a winged staff intertwined with two snakes copulating and carvings of the other gods.

In Roman mythology and religion many of Hermes' characteristics belong to Mercury,

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