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50 Cents - Elizabeth II Formosan Landlocked Salmon
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Cents |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A full-color photographic-style illustration of the Formosan landlocked salmon (Oncorhynchus masou formosanum) is depicted at center, rendered in vivid polychrome coloring showing the fish's characteristic spotted flanks, blue-green dorsal region, and yellow-orange fins against a dark aquatic background. The Latin binomial Oncorhynchus masou formosanum arcs along the upper field in italic lettering, beneath which the Chinese characters 櫻花鉤吻鮭 appear prominently in the upper central field. The denomination 50¢ is inscribed to the left, and the series inscription Asian Wildlife Series curves along the lower field. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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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.