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50 Cents - Elizabeth II Virgo
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 28.71 g |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II after the third portrait by Raphael David Maklouf, depicting the Queen wearing the George IV State Diadem and a pearl necklace with drop earrings. The truncation of the bust is visible at the bottom of the design. The legend ELIZABETH II arcs along the left periphery and COOK ISLANDS along the right, both within a beaded border. The date 2003 appears in the lower field beneath the portrait. The proof finish renders the portrait in high relief against a deeply mirrored field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Central colored appliqué depicting a stylized feminine figure representing the zodiac sign Virgo, shown in flowing robes with ornate headdress in vibrant polychrome enamel tones. Two decorative butterflies flank the figure, and a large pink rose bloom occupies the lower right of the composition against a dark black field. The Virgo astrological symbol (ᴍᴘ) appears prominently above the figure in raised lettering, with the inscription 'Virgo' in the upper right. The denomination 50¢ is inscribed to the lower right within the colored zone. The design is set within a broad raised rim with a polished border. |
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| Additional information |
Part of a twelve-coin zodiac series issued by Cook Islands in 2003, this piece belongs to a category of collectible-market coinage that the islands produced prolifically in the late 1990s and early 2000s — legal tender by technicality, with no realistic prospect of circulation. The Cook Islands' longstanding arrangement with New Zealand allows it to issue its own coinage while the New Zealand dollar functions as the practical currency, a loophole that made the islands a favored vehicle for thematic collector issues throughout this period.