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2017 Cook Island 1 Dollar Silver Cherry Blossom Globe Proof-Like
Short-Lived Beauty Made Permanent
While cherry blossom trees can be found all over the Northern Hemisphere, their captivating and fleeting natural beauty has special meaning to the Japanese. This paradoxical symbolism of impermanence -- things will come and go, so we should appreciate them while they are in full bloom -- lies at the heart of the Japanese world view. The cherry blossom (sakura in Japanese) is recognized as Japan's national flower and is ubiquitous in their culture. It appears in songs and poetry, on textile patterns and T-shirts, lining streets and park paths, and even stamped on the 100-yen coin. For over one thousand years, the people of Japan have gathered in great numbers under cherry blossom trees to appreciate their temporal beauty. They call this tradition Hanami, which literally means “watching blossoms.”
Since the blossoms only last a week or two in spring (ranging from the end of Match to early May), the Japanese weather bureau tracks the blossom forecast, or "cherry blossom front"—much like we do pollen counts, albeit for a much more enjoyable reason—and reports it to aid in planning Hanami celebrations. Attendees bring delicious food, drinks, and desserts to share. This makes Hanami celebrations excellent occasions to meet new friends, or even romantic interests. Even after the sun goes down, the cherry blossom trees continue to provide a unique and romantic ambiance. What better place for budding lovers to spend their first date, or any milestone in a happy relationship? The image of love in bloom is captured elegantly by this Cook Islands 2017 $1 Silver Cherry Blossom Globe with proof-like coin.
- HANDCRAFTED TRADITION-- The snow globe itself is filled with pure alpine water and was handcrafted in Vienna by the Perzy family business, the inventors of the original snow globe in the nineteenth century. It comes housed in a custom box, making this globe-coin combination even more special.
- SPRING OVER WINTER-- Instead of snow, the globe contains thousands of pink cherry blossom petals. When the globe is shaken, the petals slowly float and descend onto the nested coin which features a charming scene of a couple in embrace under a cherry blossom tree in full bloom, celebrating the springtime tradition of Hanami.
- PURITY AND SMARTS-- Using a tenth ounce of 99.9% pure silver, this coin was struck with smartminting© technology, a revolutionary technique in the field of modern numismatics. The smartminting© technology allows for unparalleled relief heights and intricate details without the need for more raw materials, and it can be applied to antique, proof, or colored coins.
- COOK ISLANDS LEGAL TENDER-- Each 2017 Silver Cherry Blossom coin is $1 Cook Islands legal tender, a fact reflected on the obverse along with a profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
- MINTAGE/WHAT MAKES THIS RARE -- This certified proof-like coin has a limited mintage of only 2017 pieces for coin and snow globe collectors around the world.
If you want to experience an authentic Hanami celebration for yourself, keep tabs on the "cherry blossom front" and start planning your spring trip to Japan. Compared to that, this Cook Islands 2017 $1 Silver Cherry Blossom Globe with proof-like coin comes in a close second. You could in theory break open the globe, extract the coin, and place a bet on your favorite racehorse, but Queen Elizabeth II (a keen race-goer) never bets. So once this stunning tribute to the Japanese tradition of Hanami arrives at your door, keep calm and carry on with your globe intact. But you have to order first!
Availability | Out of Stock |
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Year of Issue | 2017 |
Country | Cook Islands |
Composition | Silver |
Purity | 0.9990 |
Condition | Proof-Like |
Denomination | 1.00 |
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Currency Type | Dollar |
Coin Weight | 3.11 Grams - g |
Weight | 1/10 Ounce - oz |
Dimensions | 18mm |