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5 Dollars - Elizabeth II European Buffalo
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2009 |
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| Currency | Dollar (1972-date) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A finely detailed, high-relief rendering of a European bison (Bison bonasus) depicted in a three-quarter forward-facing stance, standing on a grassy ground line with small vegetation at its feet. The animal is shown with its characteristic massive forequarters, shaggy mane, and upward-curving horns. The legend 'EUROPEAN BUFFALO' arcs along the upper periphery, while the scientific name 'Bison bonasus' and the date '2009' appear in script to the lower right of the animal. The inscription '1 OZ FINE SILVER .999' is placed along the lower rim. |
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| Reverse lettering | EUROPEAN BUFFALO Bison bonasus 2009 1 OZ FINE SILVER .999 |
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| Additional information |
Cook Islands issued a considerable volume of wildlife-themed commemoratives through the late 2000s, most produced under licensing arrangements with European minting houses rather than any domestic facility — the islands have no mint of their own. This piece falls squarely into that category, struck as part of a broader series targeting the collector bullion market that was expanding rapidly in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, when silver spot demand pulled collector-issue sales with it.
The European bison (Bison bonasus) had been hunted to extinction in the wild by 1927, surviving only in captivity before a coordinated reintroduction program began in Poland's Białowieża Forest in 1952.