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50 Dollars - Elizabeth II English slave trader John Hawkins
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1993 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Dollars |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse commemorates the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage to the Americas. To the left, a large fully rigged galleon under sail is depicted in detailed relief, riding stylized waves. To the right, a circular inset portrait features a bearded bust of English sea captain and privateer Sir John Hawkins, wearing a ruffled collar and period hat, facing slightly left. The arc legend '500 YEARS OF AMERICA 1492-1992' curves along the upper periphery, and the denomination '50 DOLLARS' appears in the lower exergue. |
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| Mintage | 1993 - Proof |
| Additional information |
John Hawkins conducted three slave trading voyages between 1562 and 1567, making him the first English subject known to have profited from the transatlantic slave trade. His operations were backed in part by Queen Elizabeth I, who provided him with a royal vessel — the Jesus of Lübeck — for his second voyage. The third voyage ended in disaster at the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa in 1568, where Spanish forces ambushed his fleet in a Mexican port, destroying much of it.
Cook Islands issued a substantial commemorative silver series in the early 1990s covering figures from world history, controversial inclusions among them. Hawkins appears here without evident irony.