Cook Islands has issued commemorative dragon-themed pieces with enough regularity that distinguishing one annual release from another requires careful attention to KM reference numbers. The 2012 issue aligns with the Chinese lunar calendar's Year of the Dragon — the most anticipated cycle in the twelve-year sequence, consistently driving higher collector demand and, consequently, higher authorized mintages than adjacent lunar years in the same series.
Cook Islands has issued commemorative dragon-themed pieces with enough regularity that distinguishing one annual release from another requires careful attention to KM reference numbers. The 2012 issue aligns with the Chinese lunar calendar's Year of the Dragon — the most anticipated cycle in the twelve-year sequence, consistently driving higher collector demand and, consequently, higher authorized mintages than adjacent lunar years in the same series.