Cook Islands gained self-governing status in free association with New Zealand in 1965, and the 1978 gold issue marking the bicentennial of James Cook's third and final voyage was part of an aggressive early commemorative program designed to generate foreign exchange revenue rather than circulate domestically. Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, in February 1779 — the final voyage never completed under his command.
Fr#5 places this squarely in the Frick census of Pacific island gold issues, where surviving populations in original condition remain small due to inconsistent early storage by original purchasers.
Cook Islands gained self-governing status in free association with New Zealand in 1965, and the 1978 gold issue marking the bicentennial of James Cook's third and final voyage was part of an aggressive early commemorative program designed to generate foreign exchange revenue rather than circulate domestically. Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, in February 1779 — the final voyage never completed under his command.
Fr#5 places this squarely in the Frick census of Pacific island gold issues, where surviving populations in original condition remain small due to inconsistent early storage by original purchasers.