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5 Dollars - Elizabeth II Eastern Bluebird
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
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| Composition | Silver (.999) |
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| Obverse description | At center, a raised inner disc bears the diademed effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, rendered in the style of Ian Rank-Broadley, with the legend ELIZABETH II arcing left, 5 DOLLARS at top, and COOK ISLANDS arcing right; the engraver's initials IRB appear below the portrait, with the date 2022 in the lower field of the disc. Surrounding the inner disc, the expansive outer field features a high-relief sculptural scene depicting an adult grizzly bear and two cubs set against a textured forest background, extending to the reeded edge of the coin. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ELIZABETH II 5 DOLLARS COOK ISLANDS IRB 2022 |
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| Additional information |
Cook Islands has operated as a reliable vehicle for the New Zealand-based coin program industry since the 1970s, and this issue falls squarely within that commercial collector market rather than any domestic monetary need. The Eastern Bluebird is native to North America — it has no geographic or cultural connection to the Cook Islands whatsoever. The issuing authority is effectively nominal.
The species had a well-documented population collapse through the mid-20th century driven by competition from introduced European Starlings and House Sparrows for nest cavities, with recovery only stabilizing after widespread nest box programs beginning in the 1960s.