20 Dollars - Elizabeth II Shiva

Cook Islands has issued dozens of high-relief bullion pieces under its self-governing monetary arrangement with New Zealand, and this Shiva entry is one of several in a series exploring Hindu deity iconography. The series drew mild controversy among some collectors for what critics called tokenistic treatment of religious subjects, though demand from the Indian subcontinent collector market was clearly a commercial driver.

At 93.3 grams, the planchet required extended die pressure to achieve full relief definition — a known challenge with this format that occasionally produces uneven surface contact on the reverse field edges.