Confusion surrounding Cook Island coins

I heard all older Cook Island coins were withdrawn in 2016.
I also heard only the cent-denominated coins were withdrawn, and the 1, 2 and 5 Dollar coins remained in use.
The new coins (2015 series) are almost identical size and weight to the 2003-2010 coins which precede them.
There is no reliable info online. Most results in Google are about numismatics or sales links…

On a more broad note: is therea currency encyclopedia which tells when certain coins and notes were withdrawn, for all world currencies? I know there is MRI guide for banknotes, but this only covers banknotes and only those of say US$0.50 equivalent and above.

Cook Islands coins in use are all dated 2015, they are stainless steel and include the 10, 20 and 50 tene (cents) and the $1, $2 and $5 coins which are aluminium brass.

$2 coin

There have been similar coins issued between 1972 and 2010, but these were all demonitised in 2016 as they were all too confusing and some heavily worn due to the climate.

They also use New Zealand coins and the banknotes in use are all New Zealand ones, their own banknotes were issued in 1992 and demonitised around 2004 and a second issue of $3 notes in 2021, disappeared into collections.

I have not seen any in circulation when I went there in late 2023. There was also a massive coin shortage and I found it hard to get change for my collection there. In 4 days I scraped up around $30 in total. Cook Islands dollar is tied to NZ dollar as well.

Moneytane

Cook Islands coins in use are all dated 2015, they are stainless steel and include the 10, 20 and 50 tene (cents) and the $1, $2 and $5 coins which are aluminium brass.

 

 

$2 coin

 

There have been similar coins issued between 1972 and 2010, but these were all demonitised in 2016 as they were all too confusing and some heavily worn due to the climate.

They also use New Zealand coins and the banknotes in use are all New Zealand ones, their own banknotes were issued in 1992 and demonitised around 2004 and a second issue of $3 notes in 2021, disappeared into collections.

 

I have not seen any in circulation when I went there in late 2023. There was also a massive coin shortage and I found it hard to get change for my collection there. In 4 days I scraped up around $30 in total. Cook Islands dollar is tied to NZ dollar as well.

OK thanks for the clarification. Seems weird that they demontised the 1, 2 and 5 Dollar coins which were identical in size and composition to the 2015 ones-I wonder if any older years accidentaly make their way into circulation?

Hi Anthony,

When I was there I used cash as much as I could, and even seeing the 2015 coins was rare. They have eftpos there now and I almost never saw the tene(cents) coins. I did see the NZ coins a lot though and small notes ($5,10,20). Then again they may have seen I was not a local and purposely gave me NZ currency as change as the Cook Islands currency is not used in NZ.

Some Island scenes for you! Mainly shown as when you have this around you, you kind of forget about coins!

Moneytane

Hi Anthony,

 

When I was there I used cash as much as I could, and even seeing the 2015 coins was rare. They have eftpos there now and I almost never saw the tene(cents) coins. I did see the NZ coins a lot though and small notes ($5,10,20). Then again they may have seen I was not a local and purposely gave me NZ currency as change as the Cook Islands currency is not used in NZ.

 

  

 

 

 

Some Island scenes for you! Mainly shown as when you have this around you, you kind of forget about coins!

That makes sense RE not giving out the coins. Locals must know that their coins leave the country, never to return. I heard NZ doesn't use the $50 and $100 much anyway.

I heard something similar about the Isle of Man where locals don't give their coins in change to tourists.

And when I travel the world, I am able to enjoy the scenery with a tiny region of my brain thinking “I wonder what I'll find today!”…

Absolutely, the $50 has caught on in New Zealand as its placed in ATM machines and people are facing up to using them. But $100s, thats casino and drug mule/cash laundering territory still. Cooks its mainly $20 and down as they are a bit poorer there, $50 is a lot of money and not useful for village shop purchases.

Heres their coins over time.

These are the current coins of the 2015 era. The cents coins are shrunk down stainless steel ones, in the style of NZ and recycle the 1970s designs. The dollar also shows Tangaroa, god of the sea. The  $2 shows a mortar and pestle. The $5 shows a navigational waka with stars. This is a large coin. The dollars are easy to find, cents are much less easy.

These are the 1987 to 2015 coins, and feature old cupronickel 5 to 50 cents. The 50 cents (tene) had a design change in 1987. The dollar was shrunk in size around 1990 and the $2 was released in 1987, so was the $5. The older coin has a conch shell and these coins were all demonitised in 2015. The 5, 10, 20 tene are the same designs as earlier coins, but minted in Stainless Steel rather than Cupronickel as it was lighter and cheaper. This was similar to Fiji which also switched to steel in 1990 and Papua New Guinea around the same time. The 50 tene was also a steel coin now too.

These are the original 1972 to 1987 coins, all bronze and cupronickel, the original 1c and 2c were phased out around 1990, all were cupronickel. The dollars were large crown sized coins and were used a lot, ironically with $3 notes showing another half naked goddess riding on a whale (Tangaroa is anatomically correct!). The 50 cent coin showed a bonito and this design was recycled for the modern 50c.

Obverses for pre 1987 coins and post 2010 coins, the 1987 - 2009 coins showed the Maklouf effigy (I don't have a photo of one).

Before 1972, Cook Islands used New Zealand coins, a commemorative dollar from 1970 was only issued in New Zealand - but this coin likely led to the idea of the Cooks getting their own coinage.

This was one of the commemorative “large dollars” issued and thus was sold as a souvenir only - although legal tender it did not circulate either here or in the Cook Islands (Mainly as they were sold for about $4 each then!).

Hope this clears up the Cook Islands coin controversy!