HAMPTON ROADS Naval Battle 1862 Silver Coin 1$ Cook Islands 2010

During the American Civil War, the first-ever clash between two ironclad warships took place on Hampton Roads, a body of water at the confluence of the Elizabeth and James Rivers. On the Confederate side was Virginia, a wooden frigate previously known as USS Merrimack, which had been sunk and then rebuilt as an ironclad ram. On the second day of the battle, she encountered the Union Monitor. A completely new design of ironclad, her extremely low profile meant that she had no more than 18 inches of armoured deck visible above the water line. The coin's reverse portrays a representation of USS Monitor, the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy. The design, which includes The Perth Mint's ‘P' mintmark, also features a coloured section representing the battle with Virginia. The coin's obverse depicts the Raphael Maklouf effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the 2010 year-date and the monetary denomination.