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Cook Islands issued a beautiful bras finished silver 5 dollars coin holding a Martian meteorite.

An astronomy related coin was issued in 2009, by the occasion of 400th year of observation of the Mars. The Mars was observed in 1609 by Galileo Galilei, and actually the invention of telescope in astronomical observations was the "by the way" of naming the year 2009 to the International Year of Astronomy. The obverse of this bras finished silver medal shows the great Coprates Chasma region on Mars. On the upper left part a Martian meteorite is attached to the coin. The legend around the rim is: "400TH ANNIVERSARY OBSERVATION OF MARS 1609 - 2009" and "THE RED PLANET".

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The reverse follows the usual design of Cook Islands coins, the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and the face value of the coin: "5 DOLLARS".