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50 Cents - Elizabeth II Formosan Landlocked Salmon
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the George IV State Diadem, drop earring, and pearl necklace, as modelled by Raphael David Maklouf; the engraver's initials RDM appear below the truncation. The legend ELIZABETH II arcs along the upper left field and COOK ISLANDS along the upper right, with the date 2003 centered in the lower field. The design is framed by a continuous beaded border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Cook Islands has issued wildlife-themed coinage under licensing arrangements since the 1970s, with many pieces targeting the thematic collector market rather than domestic circulation — the islands' own population has never exceeded roughly 20,000. The Formosan landlocked salmon, Oncorhynchus masou formosanus, is a glacial relict population confined to a single river system in Taiwan's central mountains, listed as critically endangered with wild counts that have at times fallen below 200 individuals.
The species' survival became a flashpoint in Taiwanese conservation politics during the 1990s.