The Cook Islands' zodiac series, of which this Libra piece is part, was produced for the collector market rather than general circulation — the islands' de facto currency remains the New Zealand dollar, making these issues effectively commemorative from the outset. KM# 1374 sits in a long run of themed fifty-cent pieces that the Cook Islands government has used since the 1970s as a modest but consistent source of seigniorage revenue.
The Cook Islands' zodiac series, of which this Libra piece is part, was produced for the collector market rather than general circulation — the islands' de facto currency remains the New Zealand dollar, making these issues effectively commemorative from the outset. KM# 1374 sits in a long run of themed fifty-cent pieces that the Cook Islands government has used since the 1970s as a modest but consistent source of seigniorage revenue.