Catalog
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| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II wearing the George IV State Diadem, with a pearl drop earring and pearl necklace visible, as modeled by Raphael David Maklouf. The portrait is surrounded by a fine beaded border. The legend ELIZABETH II and the date 2004 arc across the upper field, with COOK ISLANDS along the right. The lower field carries the inscriptions 1/4 OZ. and 9999 GOLD, denoting the coin's weight and fineness. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Cook Islands has long operated as a prolific issuer of themed commemorative coinage, licensing pop culture properties for collector markets rather than circulation. The Hello Kitty franchise, owned by Sanrio and launched in Japan in 1974, was at peak Western crossover popularity in the early 2000s, driving a wave of licensed merchandise that extended, somewhat unusually, to bullion-adjacent gold issues like this one.
The .9999 fine specification places this closer to modern bullion standards than traditional commemorative alloys — an odd pairing with a cartoon licensing deal.