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2 Dollars - Elizabeth II The Great Tea Race, Silver Piedfort
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse lettering | ELIZABETH II 2 DOLLARS COOK ISLANDS IRB 2016 |
| Reverse description | High-relief depiction inspired by the oil painting of British maritime artist Jack Spurling, illustrating the dramatic conclusion of the Great Tea Race of 1866 in the English Channel. Two fully-rigged clipper sailing ships are shown in close competition under billowing sails, rendered with exceptional sculptural depth. The scene captures the intensity of the historic race between rival vessels competing to be first to dock in London with the new season's tea cargo. Surrounding legends commemorate the 150th anniversary of the event, with inscriptions arching above and below the central maritime scene. |
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| Additional information |
The Great Tea Race of 1866 remains one of the most celebrated contests in maritime history — seventeen clippers departing Fuzhou within days of each other, racing 16,000 miles to London with the new season's tea. The Ariel and Taeping arrived so closely matched that their captains agreed to split the prize money. The Cutty Sark, so often romanticized as the race's icon, was not even built until 1869.
Piedfort construction gives this piece exactly double the standard planchet thickness, a format with French medieval origins used by modern mints to produce premium collector issues without altering the die design.