Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne celebrations rarely generated foreign commemorative issues, but Cook Islands — along with several other Pacific nations — became a reliable vehicle for licensed commemorative programs in the 2000s, issuing high-relief, large-format silver pieces tied to events with no direct connection to the issuing territory. The 2006 birthday commemorative for Emperor Akihito marked his 73rd year; he would reign until his abdication in 2019, the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in over two centuries.
Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne celebrations rarely generated foreign commemorative issues, but Cook Islands — along with several other Pacific nations — became a reliable vehicle for licensed commemorative programs in the 2000s, issuing high-relief, large-format silver pieces tied to events with no direct connection to the issuing territory. The 2006 birthday commemorative for Emperor Akihito marked his 73rd year; he would reign until his abdication in 2019, the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in over two centuries.