5 Dollars - Elizabeth II Vincent Van Gogh

This issue belongs to Cook Islands' long-running micro-gold series, which exploited the territory's mint licensing arrangements to produce collectible bullion pieces well outside any domestic monetary need. At half a gram, it contains roughly $30 worth of metal at typical gold valuations — the face value is purely nominal.

Van Gogh died in 1890, two years after his most productive period in Arles, having sold only one painting during his lifetime.