Cook Islands 1996 250 dollars KM-296
This specimen was lot 70614 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2021), where it sold for $2,040. The catalog description[1] noted, "COOK ISLANDS. 250 Dollars, 1996. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo. Yellowstone National Park: Grizzly Bear. A minor spot and hint of haze is noted, but this brilliant Gem offers great radiance and a charming cameo nature." The Cook Islands, like many small, impoverished nations, has contracted with private mints to produce and market a large variety of commemoratives marketed in lands far from the issuing country. The SCWC states that this NCLT was sold with a multicolor bear, altho this example clearly lacks this feature. Cook Islands issued several dozen NCLT's honoring various American national parks.
Recorded mintage: 1,000.
Specification: 31.10 g, 0.999 fine gold, AGW: 1.00 oz.
Catalog reference: Fr-B10; KM-296.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The June 2021 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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