100 Dollars - Elizabeth II Hello Kitty

Cook Islands has operated one of the more prolific licensed bullion and novelty coin programs since the 1970s, issuing collector pieces under agreements that have little to do with domestic monetary need — the islands' actual circulating currency is the New Zealand dollar. This piece falls squarely within that commercial framework: Sanrio licensed Hello Kitty imagery for a series of precious metal issues aimed at the Asian collector market, where the character commands a following substantial enough to sustain gold-priced premiums well above melt.

Sanrio's character debuted in 1974, designed by Yuko Shimizu for a small vinyl coin purse.