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Get the COMPLETE COLLECTION of all five Famous Naval Battles silver dollars - Salamis, Trafalgar, Hampton Roads, Jutland and Midway!

Talisman Coins and the Perth Mint are extremely pleased to present the new Famous Naval Battles Series. Following on the heels of the tremendously well received Famous Battles of History program, the Famous Naval Battles Series offers pure silver dollars commemorating five important naval conflicts that have shaped the course of history. From the clash of the dreadnoughts at Jutland to the carrier versus carrier slugfest of Midway, all are remembered for their landmark contributions to the annals of naval warfare. Get the complete set of five while we still have them all! Salamis 480 BC
Today, the Battle of Salamis, fought 25 centuries ago, is little known and perhaps barely remembered outside of naval history circles. Yet, like the other three decisive victories of Athens and the other ancient Greek city-states over the Persians (Marathon, Thermopylae, and Plataea), it is fair to say that we would not have Western culture or society as we know it had the Greeks faltered and lost at Salamis. A number of historians believe that a Persian victory would have stilted the development of Ancient Greece, and by extension Western Civilization per se, and has led them to claim that Salamis is one of the most significant battles in human history. The featured warship is a Greek trireme.

Trafalgar 1805 AD
Fighting sail! The British victory spectacularly confirmed the naval supremacy that Britain had established during the past century and was achieved in part through Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson's departure from the prevailing naval tactical orthodoxy, which involved engaging an enemy fleet in a single line of battle parallel to the enemy to facilitate signaling in battle and disengagement, and to maximize fields of fire and target areas. Nelson instead divided his smaller force into two columns directed perpendicularly against the larger enemy fleet, with decisive results. The featured warship is HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship.

Hampton Roads 1862 AD
North versus South in the Duel of the Ironclads! The Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack (or Merrimac), was the most famous, and arguably most important, naval battle of the American Civil War (from the standpoint of naval innovation and development). It was fought over two days, March 8-9, 1862, in Hampton Roads, a roadstead in Virginia where the Elizabeth and Nansemond Rivers meet the James River just before it enters Chesapeake Bay. The battle was a part of the effort of the Confederacy to break the Union blockade, which had cut off Virginia's largest cities, Norfolk and Richmond, from international trade. The featured warship is USS Monitor.

Jutland 1916 AD
Clash of the dreadnoughts! The German High Seas Fleet had been built up by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the decades preceding the First World War, effectively to challenge British control of the oceans, including the North Sea. This buildup is frequently cited as one of the many causes of the war. The High Seas fleet clashed with the British Grand Fleet on a large scale this one time only, at Jutland, with over 250 ships involved on both sides. Loss of life was terrible - nearly 10,000 men were  lost, as three British battlecruisers exploded and sank within minutes when their gun turrets were hit. On the German side, the "Death Ride of the Battlecruisers" indisputably saved Admiral Scheer's High Seas Fleet, rather than giving him the decisive victory he longed for. This coin portrays the British flagship, HMS Iron Duke, in all her glory, with the color image showing her leading the Grand Fleet in line ahead, entering the fray of the battle.

Midway 1942 AD
Carrier versus carrier! The underdog United States Navy, heavily outnumbered and still reeling from the devastating sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, dealt a crushing defeat to the Imperial Japanese Navy at Midway Island in early June, 1942. Planes from American aircraft carriers sank four Japanese flattops for a loss of one of their own, USS Yorktown. British military historian John Keegan as "the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare." The featured warship is USS Enterprise, with the color image showing the Japanese carrier Akagi shown exploding in flames.

This Famous Naval Battles 5-Coin Silver Proof Set represents the Complete Collection of the Famous Naval Battles series, minted by the Perth Mint. The complete program comprises:

    Salamis - 480 BC - Ancient triremes
    Trafalgar - 1805 AD - Nelson and Victory vs. Napoleon
    Hampton Roads - 1862 AD - The duel between ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (Merrimack)
    Jutland - 1916 AD - Clash of the Dreadnoughts
    Midway - 1942 AD - Carrier vs. carrier
    + Five Coin Display Box

Please see the article further below for a short presentation on the Cook Islands.

Technology Note
The Perth Mint of Australia employs its own proprietary colorization technology, in which the color is actually sealed on the coin. The vibrant hues and precise execution of the technology create a stunning, full-color portrait on each coin.

Obverse
An historic ship from each sea battle is finely engraved and minted in frosted cameo relief. The color vignette depicts a dramatic scene from each battle. The legend names each battle and its date.

Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl drop earrings, was executed by the sculptor Raphael Maklouf. The legend QUEEN ELIZABETH II, the date of issue and denomination also appear.

Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside a handsome taupe leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin, and protected by a full-color outer box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

The Cook Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 92.7 square miles (240 square kilometers), but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 700,000 square miles (1.8 million square kilometers) of ocean. As of the 2006 census, the country has a total population of just under 20,000.

The main population centers are on the island of Rarotonga (14,153 as of 2006), where there is an international airport. There is also a much larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand, particularly the North Island. In the 2006 census, 58,008 New Zealanders identified themselves as being of ethnic Cook Island Maori descent.

With over 90,000 visitors traveling to the islands in 2006, tourism is the Cook Islands' number one industry, and the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports.

Defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request. In recent times, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy.