1 Dollar - Elizabeth II Iguanodon

Cook Islands has operated one of the most prolific novelty licensing programs in Pacific numismatics since the 1970s, issuing collector pieces under its sovereignty with virtually no connection to domestic monetary circulation. This Iguanodon entry is part of a broader prehistoric fauna series produced for the international bullion-curiosity market — gold-plated copper dressed as a collectible, manufactured in bulk by overseas minting contractors and sold primarily through European and North American dealer networks.

The Iguanodon itself was first described by Gideon Mantell in 1825, making it one of the earliest dinosaurs formally named in scientific literature.