COOK ISLANDS, INA AND SHARK, 3 DOLLARS, 1987

HISTORY: New Zealand Administration, Government of the Cook Islands, signature of Thomas Davis, Minister of Finance. This is the first year Cook Islands began printing their own currency, free of the New Zealand imprimatur.

OBVERSE: The legendary Ina, who “invoked the aid of many fish to bear her gaily on their backs,” adapted from a painting by the contemporary artist Rick Welland. See P003 for additional information.

REVERSE: A colorful collage includes an image of a traditional fishing canoe, a tapestry representing a history of fiber arts, and a rare wood carving, which survived early European collectors and missionary emasculation. This statue now resides in the British Museum. It is interesting to note that, 3,600 miles west of the Cook Islands, at Lake Sentani, Papua New Guinea, these similar sculptural icons were also quite common, as shown in the linoleum print.