CIT’s Key to my Kingdom

Description of the Coin

The blank is shaped like a key.

One side is designed to resemble a key: handle shaped like a crown; shank with decorative floral element.

Identical decoration on the other side, with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley on the handle (initials IRB); around it the circumscription ELIZABETH II 5 DOLLARS COOK ISLANDS 2023.

Background

Since time immemorial, keys have been regarded as a symbol of trust, long before Saint Peter was given the keys of heaven and thus promoted from Bishop of Rome to Pope. In the early modern era, when the wife of an influential patrician wore a huge bunch of keys prominently at her belt, it signified her dominance over her husband’s household. Taking away a woman’s keys thus became synonymous with divorce. Presenting somebody with the key to a city grants them power within the city walls; this gesture is still symbolically staged as a media event every year in Mainz, Dortmund and Cologne, when the “Narren” (“fools”) are given the key to the city at the beginning of Carnival. With “Key to my Kingdom”, CIT has completely reinterpreted this custom.

The “coin” comes in a coordinated and high-quality box.

“Key to my Kingdom” not only makes a wonderful gift for a loved one – it is also a masterpiece of the very latest minting techniques, as it could only be achieved using sophisticated smartminting® technology. The fully rounded key shank perfectly demonstrates just how superior smartminting® is over all traditional minting methods.

If you want to experience all three dimensions of this coin, be sure to watch the accompanying video: