50 Dollars - Elizabeth II Coronado

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado's 1540–1542 expedition into what is now the American Southwest was funded largely on the promise of the Seven Cities of Cíbola — mythical settlements rumored to be built of gold. He found Zuni pueblos instead. The Cook Islands issued a series of explorer-themed crowns throughout the early 1990s, farming the commemorative market aggressively during a period when silver proof issues from Pacific island nations were a significant revenue stream for governments with minimal domestic economies.

KM#114 is part of that broader explorer run, struck to proof standard by outside contract minters.