2 Dollars - Elizabeth II Camera Obscura

The camera obscura predates photography by centuries — Leonardo da Vinci documented its optical principles in the late 15th century, and by the 17th century portable versions were standard tools for artists tracing landscapes and architectural subjects. Cook Islands issued a run of themed silver pieces in the mid-2000s commemorating historical scientific instruments, of which this is one entry. The series leaned heavily toward European invention history, an unusual curatorial choice for a Pacific island territory.