Coinage of New Guinea and Papua New Guinea

[<k>]

Is this a star on the New Guinea sixpence?

[malj1]

Yes, the proclamation says 'a representation of the stone head of a native war club in the form of and eight pointed star' on the reverse.

[<k>]

Yes, the proclamation says 'a representation of the stone head of a native war club in the form of and eight pointed star' on the reverse.

Excellent detail. Is this online? Does it give descriptions for the other designs? The threepence in particular is a puzzle.

[malj1]

Yes it has descriptions for all the other designs; From... From Cowrie to Kina by Dr William J D Mira.1986. publ. Spink and Sons. ....A lovely book.

The three pence; 'on the reverse side symmetrically surrounding the hole, a square surmounting a representation of the stone head of a native war club with four points, one point projecting symmetrically from each side of the square and in the margin two inscriptions......'

[<k>]

Yes it has descriptions for all the other designs; From... From Cowrie to Kina by Dr William J D Mira.1986. publ. Spink and Sons. ....A lovely book.

The three pence; 'on the reverse side symmetrically surrounding the hole, a square surmounting a representation of the stone head of a native war club with four points, one point projecting symmetrically from each side of the square and in the margin two inscriptions......'

Thank you, this is fascinating. And I thought they were just abstract patterns. Would you have time to do a scan or do the other descriptions? This ought to be recorded.

[malj1]

Yes I shall do an OCR scan as its a little big as an image.

Perhaps you may want to start a New Guinea thread? It'll be an hour or so before I get to it!

[<k>]

Every penny shall have on the obverse side an Imperial Crown above the hole, the Imperial Monogram G.R.I, below the hole, and, on either side of the hole, representations of ornamental carvings on native war canoes — and on the reverse side, surrounding the hole, representations of native ornamental carving, and in the margin two inscriptions TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and ONE PENNY together with the year of the coin in figures.

Every threepence shall have on the obverse side an Imperial Crown above the hole, the Imperial Monogram G.R.I, below the hole, and the year of the coin across the coin — two figures on either side of the hole — and on the reverse side symmetrically surrounding the hole, a square surmounting a representation of the stone head of a native war club with four points, one point projecting symmetrically from each side of the square and in the margin two inscriptions — TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and THREEPENCE

Every sixpence shall have on the obverse side an Imperial Crown above the hole, the Imperial monogram G.R.I, below the hole and the year of the coin across the coin — two figures on either side of the hole — and on the reverse side, symmetrically surrounding the hole, a representation of the stone head of a native war club in the form of an eight-pointed star, and in the margin two inscriptions TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and SIXPENCE

Every shilling shall have on the obverse side an Imperial Crown above the hole, two royal sceptres crossed below the hole, a necklet of dogs' teeth entwining the sceptres, a seven-pointed star between the bases of sceptres, and in the margin the inscription GEORGIUS V. D.G. REX ET IND. IMP. and on the reverse side four oblong representations of a native carving extending from the hole, in the form of a Greek cross interspersed by four narrow pointed representations of a native carving and in the margin two inscriptions TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and ONE SHILLING together with the year of the coin in figures.

[malj1]

From... From Cowrie to Kina by Dr William J D Mira.1986. publ. Spink and Sons.

Descriptions of the designs and physical data were published in Coinage Proclamations No's 1 and 2, in the New Guinea Gazette and were deemed to have operated from 2 December 1935. The information however, was found to be inaccurate and these two proclamations were rescinded and replaced by the following, Coinage Proclamation No. 3:

ORDINANCE

by the Administrator of the Territory of New Guinea under the Currency Coinage and Tokens Ordinance 1922-1935.

WHEREAS by section fifteen of the Currency Coinage and Tokens Ordinance 1922-1935 it is amongst other things proved that the Administrator may by proclamation determine the dimensions of the design for any Territory coins:
AND WHEREAS by Coinage Proclamation No. 1 and Coinage Proclamation No. 2, each dated the eleventh day of March, One thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight, the Administrator determined the dimensions of and design for each of the Territory coins known as the shilling, the sixpence, the threepence and the penny:
AND WHEREAS it is desirable to revoke the said Proclamations and to issue a Proclamation in Substitution for those Proclamations:
NOW THEREFORE I, Walter Ramsay McNicoll, the Administrator of the Territory of New Guinea, do hereby revoke the said Coinage Proclamation No. 1 and Coinage Proclamation No. 2 and determine that —
1.   Every Territory coin shall be circular, shall have a concentric hole and shall approximate in dimensions to the dimensions specified for coins of the same denomination in the following table:

Denomination of coin.   Diameter of Coin.    Diameter of Hole.  Thickness of coin where not raised or embossed.
       Inches  Inches  Inches
Shilling   .9335   .178   .064
Sixpence   .738   .155   .055
Threepence   .6426   .1385   .0455
Penny   1.068   .1462   .061
2.   Every Shilling and Sixpence shall have a milled edge and every threepence and penny shall have a plain edge.
3.   The designs for the said coins shall be as follows:
(a)   Every shilling shall have on the obverse side an Imperial Crown above the hole, two royal sceptres crossed below the hole, a necklet of dogs' teeth entwining the sceptres, a seven-pointed star between
the bases of sceptres, and in the margin the inscription GEORGIUS V. D.G. REX ET IND. IMP. and on the reverse side four oblong representations of a native carving extending from the hole, in the form of a Greek cross interspersed by four narrow pointed representations of a native carving and in the margin two inscriptions TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and ONE SHILLING together with the year of the coin in figures;
(b)   Every sixpence shall have on the obverse side an Imperial Crown above the hole, the Imperial monogram G.R.I, below the hole and the year of the coin across the coin — two figures on either side of
the hole —   and on the reverse side, symmetrically surrounding the hole, a representation of the stone head of a native war club in the form of an eight-pointed star, and in the margin two inscriptions TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and SIXPENCE;
(c)   Every threepence shall have on the obverse side an Imperial Crown above the hole, the Imperial Monogram G.R.I, below the hole, and the year of the coin across the coin — two figures on either side of
the hole —   and on the reverse side symmetrically surrounding the hole, a square surmounting a representation of the stone head of a native war club with four points, one point projecting symmetrically from each side of the square and in the margin two inscriptions — TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and THREEPENCE; and
(d)   Every penny shall have on the obverse side an Imperial Crown above the hole, the Imperial Monogram G.R.I, below the hole, and, on either side of the hole, representations of ornamental carvings on native war canoes — and on the reverse side, surrounding the hole, representations of native ornamental carving, and in the margin two inscriptions TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and ONE PENNY together with the year of the coin in figures.

[<k>]

Marvellous, malj1, thanks. And I thought Mr Kruger-Gray had just been amusing himself with abstract patterns, but it's all meaningful. 

[malj1]

Mention is also made that striking was further complicated by the death of George V and the Melbourne mint continued using the 1935 punches for the 3d and 6d and 1936 for the 1/- as the mint was unable to change these to Edwardus VIII, for this to be done the dies had to be sent to England.

Malcolm.

[<k>]

Apparently the dogs' teeth mentioned were used as money in the days before coins were made available.

[malj1]

These Dansco albums were popular around 1965 as decimalisation approached Australia, and New guinea, in February 1966.

And of course the average collector could not hope to obtain the 1929 issue so these were not entirely punched out.

[malj1]

And the second page...

[malj1]

Apparently the dogs' teeth mentioned were used as money in the days before coins were made available.

Yes a wonderful collection of objects were used as currency before the white man came along. Shells, dog's teeth and boar tusks, [the number of turns increased the value] were a sign of wealth, along with beads, white being the lowest value and red the highest and stone axe heads. The gold lip shell - the Kina - was used in many area of New Guinea until the 1960's. Kina was perpetuated in the currency name of today along with the toea, an arm band, a traditional trade item and 'bride price' payment of Papua.

[villa66]

Good read. Thanks everyone.

v.