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5 Dollars - Elizabeth II Kniefall von Warschau
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2020 |
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| Thickness | 0.3 mm |
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts the celebrated historical scene known as the 'Kniefall von Warschau' (Warsaw Genuflection), commemorating West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's spontaneous act of contrition at the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Memorial on 7 December 1970. In the foreground, a figure kneels in profile before a wreath laid at the monument, while a group of dignitaries and onlookers stands in the middleground. The arc legend 'KNIEFALL VON WARSCHAU' frames the upper field, with the year '2020' prominently placed below it. A circular cartouche bearing '50th Anniv.' appears in the lower centre, flanked by the inscriptions '1/2 G .9999 FINEST GOLD' along the lower rim. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The "Kniefall von Warschau" commemorates Willy Brandt's spontaneous genuflection on December 7, 1970, at the memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising — a gesture he made unrehearsed, without instruction from his staff. Brandt himself said he did it because words were insufficient. At the time, West German public opinion was divided; polls showed a majority of West Germans considered it excessive. Abroad, the image ran on front pages across the world and became one of the defining photographs of postwar European reconciliation. Brandt received the Nobel Peace Prize the following year, in part due to his Ostpolitik of which that visit was the symbolic apex.