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5 Dollars - Charles III Polar Bear
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1972-date) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features, at center, a sculpted high-relief polar bear paw print forming the dominant design element, with five individual toes rendered in exceptional three-dimensional detail, complete with protruding claws, and dense textured fur. Above the paw, an Arctic ice floe rendered in high relief extends across the upper field. Centered within the paw pad is a recessed circular medallion bearing a right-facing effigy of King Charles III, uncrowned and in civilian dress. The circular legend around the medallion reads '5 DOLLARS · CHARLES III · 2024 DT · COOK ISLANDS ·'. The broad surrounding field is decorated with a deeply engraved geometric latticework pattern of diamonds and crosses, evoking traditional Arctic or Nordic textile motifs. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Cook Islands has issued commemorative silver under licensing arrangements for decades, with the actual striking typically contracted to the Pobjoy Mint or other European facilities rather than any domestic capacity — the islands have no mint of their own. The regulatory framework allowing Cook Islands to issue collectible coinage independently of New Zealand, despite using the New Zealand dollar for everyday transactions, dates to the early 1970s and has since produced thousands of distinct types, making attribution of individual issues to specific production runs difficult without assay marks.
Charles III's accession in September 2022 triggered a wave of new obverse dies across all Commonwealth-adjacent issuing authorities, Cook Islands among them.