Catalog
2 1/2 Dollars - Elizabeth II James Cook
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1973-1974 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 27.35 g |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing draped bust of Queen Elizabeth II, diademed and wearing an upswept coiffure, after the effigy designed by Arnold Machin. The legend ELIZABETH II arcs along the upper left field, with COOK ISLANDS continuing along the right, and the date 1973 appearing in the lower exergue. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Cook Islands gained self-governance in free association with New Zealand in 1965, and the 1973–1974 coinage series was among the first substantive issues produced under that arrangement. The James Cook pieces were struck to mark the bicentennial of Cook's 1773–1774 visit to the islands during his second Pacific voyage — the first European contact with several of the group's atolls.
Franklin Mint handled production, as it did for numerous Pacific and Caribbean nations establishing new coinage programs through the early 1970s.