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20 Dollars - Elizabeth II Coyolxauhqui Stone
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Dollars |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a tiara and pearl earring, rendered in high relief against a concentrically lined field that radiates outward from the portrait. Superimposed over the field is a stylized map of the Americas composed of dense Aztec-inspired glyphs and symbols, evoking the IRB Archaeology & Symbolism series theme. The legend ELIZABETH II • COOK ISLANDS arcs along the upper rim, while 20 DOLLARS is inscribed along the lower rim. The inscription ARCHEOLOGY & SYMBOLISM runs vertically along the right side of the field, and the engraver's initials IRB appear beneath the portrait. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central colorized disc depicting the dismembered figure of Coyolxauhqui, the Aztec moon goddess, rendered in vivid polychrome enamel tones of yellow-green, turquoise blue, and crimson red, faithfully reproducing the iconography of the famous monolithic stone discovered at the Templo Mayor in Mexico City. The figure is surrounded by serpents, skulls, and ritual ornaments consistent with Aztec cosmological symbolism. The central disc is framed by a square border decorated with rows of miniature skulls at top and bottom and vertical bands of figural Aztec relief motifs on the sides. The legend COYOLXAUHQUI arcs along the upper rim and STONE along the lower rim, with the date 20 21 split to either side of the central composition. |
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| Additional information |
Coyolxauhqui was the Aztec moon goddess whose dismembered body, according to myth, was hurled down Coatepec hill by her brother Huitzilopochtli after she led a failed rebellion against him. The original monolithic stone depicting her — discovered beneath Mexico City in 1978 during electrical cable work — is one of the most significant archaeological finds of the twentieth century and now anchors the Museo del Templo Mayor.
Cook Islands has issued a long series of large-format silver rounds under nominal face values tied to foreign iconography, with this piece among the heavier in that program. The KM#3174.1 designation suggests a variant exists.