Silver Two Ounces 2023 Mountain Peaks - Half Dome, 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 CIT series featuring mountain peaks, and is dedicated to the Half Dome in the United States.

The mint says about it:
Visible from afar, this steep, rugged half-sphere soars high above the Yosemite Valley. Originally named "Tis-sa-ack", a native American phrase for “cleft rock”, it witnessed many famous climbs. The first known ascent was by George Anderson in 1875, who drilled holes into the smooth granite to successfully conquer the rock face. Since then, hikers reach the summit each year by following a trail starting from the valley floor. After a strenuous climb of several hundred granite steps, they find themselves at the foot of the steep east face. They overcome this final difficulty with the help of two steel cables attached to posts.

Thanks to its distinctive shape, Half Dome ranks among America's most iconic mountains.