2023 Cook Islands 2 oz Silver Antique Beijing Temple of Heaven NGC MS70
Images are for educational/reference use and may not represent current inventory.
What ships: one 2 oz silver Temple of Heaven sealed in its NGC slab, graded MS70 Antiqued. The dark patina is the mint's intended antique finish, not tarnish or wear. Each slab has its own certification number, so yours will differ from the one pictured. Do not break the slab — the grade applies to the coin as encapsulated.
Questions about this coin? Call or text (385) 442-9636
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Coin Specifications
| Metal | Silver |
| Weight | 2 troy oz |
| Purity | .999 fine |
| Grade | NGC MS70 Antiqued |
| Finish | Antiqued high relief |
| Issuer | Cook Islands |
| Year | 2023 |
| Face value | $10 (legal tender, Cook Islands) |
| Packaging | Sealed NGC slab with certification number |
| IRA eligible | No — graded collectibles are excluded |
The Temple of Heaven is the Ming-era complex in Beijing where emperors performed the annual harvest rites. This release renders the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in high relief with an antiqued finish — a darkened patina the mint applies deliberately so the sculpture reads like an excavated artifact rather than bright proof silver. NGC graded this example MS70, the top of the Mint State scale.
This is a collector piece rather than a stacking choice. Two ounces of silver sets a floor under it, but what you are buying is a low-mintage antiqued release in the highest grade, and that premium tracks collector demand rather than the silver market. If your goal is ounces, a Silver Eagle or generic rounds give you far more silver per dollar. Buy this one because you want the coin.
Frequently Asked Questions
NGC is one of the two major third-party grading services. MS70 is the top of the Mint State scale — a coin with no post-production imperfections visible at 5x magnification. Antiqued is a designation, not a flaw: the mint deliberately applies a darkened patina so the high-relief design reads like an aged artifact. So this is a flawless example of a coin that was made to look old on purpose.
Two troy ounces of .999 fine silver. Because it is antiqued and struck in high relief, the coin is thicker and more sculptural than a standard 2 oz bullion round.
The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the Ming-era complex where emperors performed harvest rites. The reverse renders the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in high relief with fireworks behind it; the obverse carries Elizabeth II alongside a second view of the temple, with the COOK ISLANDS legend and the $10 denomination.
The Cook Islands licenses its coinage to private mints, which issue legal-tender collector coins on whatever themes they choose. The country provides the legal tender status and the effigy; the design and distribution come from the issuing mint. It is a common arrangement for modern collector silver.
No. The grade is attached to the holder, not the coin — NGC certifies the coin as encapsulated, and the cert number on the label ties to their online verification. Crack it out and you have an ungraded antiqued coin worth considerably less than a slabbed MS70.
No. Graded and collectible coins are excluded from self-directed IRAs even when the underlying metal meets the fineness requirement — the IRS treats them as collectibles rather than bullion. If you are buying silver for an IRA, buy American Silver Eagles or another sovereign bullion coin and confirm with your custodian.
The grade, mostly. Two ounces of silver sets a floor, but a low-mintage antiqued release in MS70 sells well above melt to collectors who want the top grade. That also means the premium depends on collector demand rather than the silver market, and it can move independently of spot in either direction.
Utah exempts investment-grade precious metals from sales tax. Confirm with your dealer at the time of purchase, as treatment of graded collectibles can differ from plain bullion.
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