The Cooks Islands consists of 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean that are a self-governing dependency of New Zealand. Although it is a very small country, a vast range of collector silver coins have been issued over the years under the legal authority of the Cook Islands. These silver coins are usually produced by the Mint of Poland, which is one the oldest Mints in the world that is known for its advanced technological capabilities and for minting coins on behalf of many other countries. The Pobjoy Mint, a private Mint in the UK, also issues coins for the Cook islands.
The themes of Cook Islands silver coins are virtually unlimited, and some of the recurring issues depicted on these often very colorful coins are art, famous world monuments, astronomy, the Chinese Lunar calendar, wars, famous ships, famous actors and actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich, and many others.
Some of the most well-known Cook Island silver coin series include the Windows of Heaven series with real stained glass inserts, Masterpieces of Art with beautiful color depictions of some of the world’s most famous paintings on 3 oz. coins, and the Lunar year mother of pearl 5 oz. series. These coins are all low-mintage issues that are widely collected around the world.