Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
20 Dollars - Elizabeth II Emperor Penguin
| Issuer | Cook Islands Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1972-date) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ELIZABETH II COOK ISLANDS 20 DOLLARS 2018 EMPEROR PENGUIN .999 LIMITED EDITION 888 PCS 88G |
| Reverse description | The reverse exploits the full sculptural form of the penguin-shaped flan to present a highly detailed, high-relief depiction of an adult Emperor penguin standing upright and gazing downward toward a fluffy chick standing before it on an icy ground. The adult's dark dorsal plumage and pale ventral surface are rendered with exceptional naturalistic detail through deep relief and antique finishing, which accentuates the contrast between the polished and recessed areas. The chick is depicted in three-quarter frontal view with its dense downy plumage intricately textured. No legends appear on this face, allowing the sculptural wildlife composition to dominate the entire surface of the shaped planchet. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Cook Islands has operated as a prolific bullion and collector coin issuing program for decades, licensing its sovereign status to third-party minting operations — primarily the German firm B.H. Mayer's Kunstprägeanstalt — to produce high-premium pieces for the collector market rather than domestic circulation. This $20 denomination has no meaningful face-value relationship to the actual metal content; it exists entirely as a vehicle for the premium collectibles market.
The Emperor Penguin series capitalizes on sustained collector interest in Antarctic wildlife themes, a category that has driven significant secondary-market volume since the early 2010s.