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10 Dollars - Elizabeth II Cerro Rico Potosi
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2011 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ELIZABETH II COOK ISLANDS 2011 |
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| Mintage | 2011 - Proof - 8,000 |
| Additional information |
Cerro Rico — "Rich Mountain" — above Potosí in present-day Bolivia was the single most productive silver source in colonial history, responsible for an estimated 60% of all silver mined worldwide between 1545 and 1800. The mountain fed Spanish imperial finance for over two centuries and, in the process, killed an estimated eight million indigenous and enslaved African workers through mercury poisoning and tunnel collapse. The Spanish phrase "vale un Potosí" entered the language as shorthand for incalculable wealth.
The coin's .999 fine silver is a quiet irony given Potosí's output was refined to roughly .930 fine for the cob coinage it produced.