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1/4 Dollar - Elizabeth II Sistine Madonna
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2015 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Circular raised medallion set within a rectangular flan, bearing the right-facing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a tiara and pearl necklace, after the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait. The legend ELIZABETH II arcs along the left, COOK ISLANDS along the upper right, and 1/4 DOLLAR along the lower right of the circular border. The date 2015 appears in the lower exergue of the central medallion. |
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| Reverse description | Full-color reproduction of Raphael's celebrated Renaissance masterpiece, the Sistine Madonna (c. 1512), applied across the entire rectangular field. The Virgin Mary is depicted standing on clouds at center, holding the Christ Child, her gaze directed toward the viewer. Saint Sixtus appears at lower left in golden vestments, gesturing upward, while Saint Barbara kneels in contemplation at lower right. Two winged cherubs are rendered at the bottom of the composition, gazing heavenward, with green drapery flanking the upper portion of the scene. |
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| Additional information |
Cook Islands has issued commemorative quarters under licensing arrangements that allow it to produce collectible pieces bearing imagery tied to no aspect of its own history or culture. This coin exists purely as a collectible vehicle — the denomination is nominal, the face value bears no relationship to the metal content, and circulation was never the intention.
Raphael's Sistine Madonna was painted around 1512 for the church of San Sisto in Piacenza. It left Italy in 1754 when Augustus III of Saxony purchased it for the Dresden gallery, where it has remained. The two cherubs at the bottom of the composition became separately iconic in the 20th century through widespread reproduction on postcards and merchandise.