Catalog
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| Issuer | Government of the Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Within a recessed rectangular field, the upper portion bears the legends '100 oz COIN', 'FINE SILVER', and '.999' in bold relief across three lines. Below, a raised circular medallion depicts the right-facing diademed effigy of Queen Elizabeth II after the portrait by Raphael David Maklouf, surrounded by the circular legend 'ELIZABETH II' to the left, '100 DOLLARS' at the top, 'COOK ISLANDS' to the right, and the date '2008' at the base. Beneath the medallion, a finely detailed depiction of HMS Bounty under full sail occupies the central field. At the lower portion, the mint mark and legend 'HEIMERLE+MEULE' appear above the inscription 'Gold and Silver Refinery established in 1845, Pforzheim'. |
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| Mintage | 2008 |
| Additional information |
This is one of the largest silver coins ever commercially issued — 3,110 grams puts it at precisely 100 troy ounces. The Cook Islands has long operated as a licensing jurisdiction for novelty and large-format bullion issues, producing coins that are legal tender on paper but were never intended to see a cash register. The arrangement suits both parties: New Zealand handles actual monetary policy, while the Cook Islands government collects licensing fees from minting firms, primarily the Austrian Mint and various private producers.
KM#1471 references a specific Bounty-series issue, a franchise the Cook Islands has run across multiple denominations and formats since the 1980s. The 100-troy-ounce format was part of a broader wave of oversized bullion pieces produced around 2007–2009 by Perth, Vienna, and affiliated mints competing for the high-premium collector bullion market.