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5 Dollars - Elizabeth II HMS Sirius
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1999 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A detailed high-relief depiction of the full-rigged sailing vessel HMS Sirius under sail, shown three-quarter view running before the wind on a stylised sea, occupying the right and central portion of the field. The background is richly textured with a repeating typographic pattern of the words HMS SIRIUS in varying scales, creating a decorative mosaic effect across the entire field. To the left, the denomination $5 is prominently displayed in large numerals. Below the vessel, the series inscription Ships that made Australia appears in italic script, flanked at the base by the fineness and weight indicators 2 OUNCE and 999 SILVER, separated by a compass rose device. The overall finish is antiqued, giving the piece a distinctive aged appearance. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
HMS Sirius was the flagship of the First Fleet that transported the initial convict settlement to Botany Bay in 1788, and her story ended badly: she was wrecked on a reef off Norfolk Island in March 1790 while attempting to land supplies, stranding the colony there for nearly eleven months. The wreck site was excavated beginning in the 1980s, and recovered timbers and artefacts are held by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney.
Cook Islands produced a considerable volume of large-format silver issues in the late 1990s targeting the Australian collector market, with maritime and colonial history among the most common themes.