Cook Islands – Nicolaus Copernicus – $5 – 2008 – Proof Silver Crown – Swarovski Crystal – COA – When UNESCO designated 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, the Cook Islands issued a coin to celebrate the genius of Nicolaus Copernicus who was responsible for getting modern astronomy up and running. This proof silver crown marks his greatest contribution to science: the revelation that the Sun is the center of our solar system and that the Earth and other planets rotate around it. Up until that time, the prevailing theory held that the Earth was the center of the universe and that everything else revolved around it. This coin is 38.6 millimeters in diameter and was struck from 25 grams of .999 silver. The solar system it depicts is selectively gold plated and features a Swarovski crystal at its center. Total mintage on this coin was limited to 2,500 pieces.