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25 Dollars - Elizabeth II Benjamin Franklin
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 155.5 g |
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| Obverse description | An inset circular cameo at the lower left depicts the right-facing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, diademed and draped, with the legend ELIZABETH II to the left and COOK ISLANDS to the right, the denomination 25 DOLLARS below, and the engraver's initials IRB beneath the portrait. The surrounding field features a high-relief collage of key American founding documents rendered in fine detail, including the Declaration of Independence dated IN CONGRESS JULY 4 1776, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the United States Constitution opening with WE THE PEOPLE, and related parchment texts. Benjamin Franklin's facsimile signature appears prominently in the upper portion of the field against a polished proof background. A border of thirteen stars encircles the entire design, referencing the original American colonies. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 2021 MS |
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| Additional information |
This piece is part of a broader collector series rather than a circulating issue — Cook Islands has long used its constitutional relationship with New Zealand to issue legal tender coins that are sold exclusively into the numismatic market, a revenue stream the islands have exploited aggressively since the 1970s. Franklin himself would have appreciated the arrangement: he understood better than most that money's value is as much a matter of convention as of metal.
At 155.5 g, this is a five-troy-ounce strike — a now-standard bullion increment that became the dominant format for high-denomination collector silver issues in the 2010s.