Cook Islands issued a run of commemorative gold pieces throughout the 2000s under licensing arrangements that had little to do with actual monetary policy — this is one of them. Pope Benedict XVI's April 2008 visit to the United States was his first as pontiff, including a stop at the White House and a mass at Nationals Park in Washington attended by roughly 46,000 people. The five-nines gold purity is unusually fine for a struck coin; standard bullion runs to .9999, and the extra refinement step adds cost without meaningful collector benefit.
Cook Islands issued a run of commemorative gold pieces throughout the 2000s under licensing arrangements that had little to do with actual monetary policy — this is one of them. Pope Benedict XVI's April 2008 visit to the United States was his first as pontiff, including a stop at the White House and a mass at Nationals Park in Washington attended by roughly 46,000 people. The five-nines gold purity is unusually fine for a struck coin; standard bullion runs to .9999, and the extra refinement step adds cost without meaningful collector benefit.