The decimal coinage of New Zealand

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From Wikipedia:

Prior to the introduction of the New Zealand dollar in 1967, the New Zealand pound was the currency of New Zealand, which had been distinct from the pound sterling since 1933. The pound used the £sd system, in which the pound was divided into 20 shillings and one shilling was divided into 12 pence.

Switching to decimal currency had been proposed in New Zealand since the 1930s, although only in the 1950s did any plans come to fruition. In 1957, a committee was set up by the Government to investigate decimal currency. The idea fell on fertile ground, and in 1963, the Government decided to decimalise New Zealand currency. The Decimal Currency Act was passed in 1964, setting the date of transition to 10 July 1967.

The government decided to call the new currency the New Zealand dollar. It would replace the pound at a rate of two dollars to one pound (one dollar to ten shillings, 10 cents to one shilling,  5⁄6 of a cent to a predecimal penny).


The initial designs for the coins were criticised by the Royal Mint, as were later designs that were leaked to the public in early 1966. The government then published a selection of the designs submitted and asked for public input via voting forms published in newspapers. Designs by New Zealander James Berry were ultimately chosen for all six coins.


See also:

1] James Berry's 1947 sketches of designs for NZ decimals - 20 years too early!

2] James Berry's designs for NZ's first decimals that DIDN'T make it.

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The reverse of the 1 cent coin featured a silver fern leaf.

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Leaves of the silver fern.

Cyathea dealbata, also known as the silver fern, or ponga (from Māori kaponga or ponga), is a species of medium-sized tree fern, endemic to New Zealand. It is a symbol commonly associated with the country both overseas and by New Zealanders themselves.

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Kowhai flowers were featured on the 2 cents coin.

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Kowhai flowers.

From Wikipedia:

Kōwhai are small woody legume trees within the genus Sophora that are native to New Zealand. Their natural habitat is beside streams and on the edges of forest, in lowland or mountain open areas. Kōwhai trees are a common feature in New Zealand gardens. Outside of New Zealand, kōwhai tend to be restricted to mild temperate maritime climates.

The blooms of the kōwhai are widely regarded as being New Zealand's national flower, although they have no official status as such. The word kōwhai is also used in the Māori language for the colour yellow, because of the colour of the flowers.

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A tuatara appeared on the 5 cents coin.

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The tuatara.

Tuatara are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. Although resembling lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. Their name derives from the Māori language, and means "peaks on the back". The single species of tuatara is the only surviving member of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago.

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The 10 cents coin featured a Maori mask.

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The word "SHILLING" was removed from the coin from 1970 onwards.

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The 20 cents featured a kiwi.

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The 50 cents depicted the HMS Endeavour, commanded by James Cook for his first exploration of the Pacific in 1769-1771.

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In 1985 the UK adopted a new portrait of the Queen, by Raphael Maklouf, and New Zealand did likewise in 1986.

Below you see the portrait as it appeared on the obverse of a New Zealand coin dated 1990.


See also: Raphael Maklouf did not design the third portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

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From Wikipedia:

Towards the end of the 1980s, the 1c and 2c were becoming of little value, and it was decided to withdraw these coins from circulation. The last coins of these denominations were minted for circulation in 1987, with collector coins being made for 1988. The coins were slowly withdrawn from circulation, before finally being demonetised (no longer legal tender) on 1 May 1990.

After the withdrawal of these coins, cash transactions were normally rounded to the nearest 5 cents, a process known as Swedish rounding. Some larger retailers (notably one supermarket chain), in the interests of public relations, elected to round the total price down (so that $4.99 became $4.95 instead of $5.00). Alternatively, many retailers rounded all their prices to the nearest 5 cents to avoid the issue entirely—so a New Zealand shopper often encountered products for sale at prices like $4.95.

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In 1990 new $1 and $2 coins were released to replace the $1 and $2 notes. Both were made of aluminium bronze.

The 1 dollar coin was 23 mm in diameter and weighed 8 grams.

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The reverse of the dollar featured a kiwi amid silver fern leaves. It was designed by Robert Maurice Conly. The dollar became colloquially known as a "kiwi dollar".