1 Dollar - Elizabeth II Construction of the Titanic

Cook Islands has issued commemorative dollars under Elizabeth II's effigy in extraordinary volume since the 1970s, primarily targeting the collector market with little pretense of circulation intent. This Titanic piece appeared in the centenary year of the sinking, one of dozens of 2012 issues capitalizing on the anniversary. The construction angle — rather than the disaster — is the less-traveled subject, RMS Titanic having been built at Harland and Wolff's Belfast yard between 1909 and 1911, employing roughly 3,000 workers at its peak.

Gold-plated copper was the standard material for this tier of Cook Islands issue.