50 Dollars - Elizabeth II Winston Churchill

Churchill died in January 1965, and the Cook Islands issue came nearly a decade later, timed to the territory's post-1965 self-governance status — these commemorative programs were partly a revenue mechanism for a nation with limited economic infrastructure. Cook Islands began issuing collector coinage almost immediately after achieving self-government in free association with New Zealand, and the 1974 Churchill piece was among the earliest large-format silver issues in that program.

At 97.2 grams, it is one of the heavier Commonwealth commemoratives of the decade. Striking quality on these large Cook Islands issues varies considerably between specimens.