Tuesday, 24 January 2017

New Zealand Coins : Fractional System

The early years

In early 1840, Captain William Hobson, RN, the first Governor of New Zealand, extended British laws to New Zealand. This meant that certain sections of the Imperial Coinage Act, 1816 (UK) became relevant to the new colony. This allowed for the standard gold, silver and bronze British coins to circulate freely in New Zealand alongside the existing variety of foreign coins. British coins were made legal tender in terms of the above act by the passing of the English Laws Act in 1858.

In the 1840s and 1850s there was an extreme shortage of coins, especially copper coins. Traders tried the issue of low value paper notes to remedy this situation but this was soon abandoned. Instead, as this shortage intensified throughout the 1850s, businesses in Auckland and Dunedin decided to issue their first copper tokens in 1857. In all, 48 traders (mostly retailers) issued their own penny and half-penny tokens. This practice survived until 1881 with their use gradually declining in the 1880s.

In 1897, New Zealand's currency became subject to certain provisions stated in the Imperial Coinage Act, 1870 (UK). This meant that only British coin became the official legal tender coin of the colony. At that time, it was already one of the two ‘common' currencies, along with Australian minted gold sovereign and half sovereign coins.

In 1914, the gradual withdrawal of gold coin from circulation took place.

Silver coin was debased from .925 fine (Sterling Silver) to .500 fine in 1920.


New Zealand’s own currency

By 1933, it was obvious that something had to be done about the coin smuggling and the shortage of lower denomination coins in New Zealand. It was decided that New Zealand should start issuing currency from a single bank. The New Zealand Numismatic Society suggested that New Zealand adopt a decimal system of coinage.

However a distinctive New Zealand coinage was introduced in 1933 based on a fractional system (the same as sterling). These new coins used the same weights, sizes and denominations as the British coins.

Bronze coins (penny and halfpenny) of British standard were not approved until 22nd December 1939. These were issued in 1940, at the time of the Centennial of New Zealand.

The Coinage Act, 1933 governed the currency, coinage and legal tender in New Zealand, and meant that British coin ceased to be legal tender as at 1st February 1935. New Zealand then became the last and most remote of the self-governing dominions of the British Commonwealth to introduce its own coinage.



The original designs
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Half-Crown   Ensigns armorial of the Dominion on their shield (quarterings depicting the Southern Cross, a wheat sheaf, a lamb suspended by a ribbon and mining hammers crossed divided by three ships) surmounted by the Royal Crown and surrounded by ornamentation inspired by Maori carvings

Florin            A kiwi (bird) facing left

Shilling          A figure of a Maori warrior in warlike attitude carrying a 
                    taiaha

Sixpence        A huia (bird) perched on a branch

Threepence   Two carved patu (Maori weapons) crossed with lanyards or throngs attached,  with "3d" between their blades

Penny           A tui (bird) perched in a setting of yellow kowhai blossoms

Halfpenny     A Maori Hei-tiki (Maori charm) with Maori ornamental scrolls 
                   on each side
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In 1947 the issue of Cupro-Nickel coins replaced .500 fine silver coins. This proclamation was made under Section eight of the Coinage Act, 1933 and signed on 25th August 1947. Both metal types of coins were still considered to be legal tender. This change was due to the rising costs of mining and the price of silver.




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