10 Dollars - Elizabeth II 500th Anniv. Death of Ch. Columbus

Columbus died in Valladolid on May 20, 1506, largely convinced he had reached the outer islands of Asia — never acknowledging the Americas as a separate continent. Fiji's connection to him is purely commemorative; the islands were not encountered by Europeans until Torres and Janszoon in the early 17th century. Issues like this one are squarely collector product, struck in fractional gold at a weight corresponding to 1/25 oz, a format popular among Pacific island mints during the 2000s for its low bullion entry price and broad thematic appeal to the worldwide commemorative market.