COOK ISLANDS COIN CONTAINS PIECE OF CHELYABINSK METEORITE

On the morning of February 15, 2013, a meteorite hit the earth in the Ural Mountains. This time though, instead of landing a good distance away from populated areas, the enormous celestial body caused considerable damage to the people around the city of Chelyabinsk. Now, a unique coin issued by the Cook Islands allows the viewer to relive this dramatic event.

Depicted on the front of the coin is a portrait of the Cook Islands’ official head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. Her name, Elizabeth II appears along the rim, as does the name of the issuing country, Cook Islands, and the nominal value, 5 Dollars. The reverse of the coin features a coloured image field: A small fragment of the meteorite has been incorporated in the middle, surrounded by a coloured streak of flame running from left to right. Running above and below, from the middle towards the edge, are blue, irregularly broken stripes that represent shattered glass. The words Chelyabinsk Meteorite 2013 appear along the upper edge, and below, the geographic coordinates of the impact point: 54° 49' N, 61° 07' E.

To read the complete article, see: Cook Islands collector coin on Chelyabinsk meteorite (www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/4?&id=2244)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: SOME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS TO CONTAIN RUSSIAN METEORITE FRAGMENTS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n32a13.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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