COINAGE OF NEW REIGN

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22252, 17 November 1937, Page 10

COINAGE OF NEW REIGN

DIFFERENCES IN DESIGN

SHILLINGS AND THREEPENNY

BITS APPEARING

Coins of the present reign, bearing the head of King George VI, are gradually finding their way into circulation. So far only shillings and threepenny bits are in use, but a shipment of sixpences is expected on December 5. .

The new shillings and threepenny bits made their appearance in Christchurch through the totalisalor at Addington on Tuesday of Carnival Week. They had arrived in the city the day before, and a consignment was sent to Addlngton. The proportion of the new coins in circulation, however, is still small, and some of the banks have not yet had occasion to draw on their supplies. The new currency will probably come into circulation slowly. Banks will get supplies as they require them, and there is no immediate prospect of coins of other denominations except for the sixpences which will arrive n December.

The design on the new coinage has several points of interest. The King's head, for the first time on coins minted specially for overseas Dominions or colonies of the British Empire, is uncrowned. This follows the tradition of the coinage of Great Britain, but is a new departure for New' Zealand and other parts of the Empire. The omission of the crown leaves more space for the inscription on the coin, which is now larger and clearer than that on the older currency. The whole design is considerably simplified and presents a very pleasing appearance. The direction in which the head is facing makes an apparent breach with the tradition that the direction alternates with every successive currency, in that the head on the old currency (that of George V) and the new currency is facing left in each case. Ihere was no currency of the reign of Edward VIII in New Zealand, so t«at two consecutive currencies have tru> head facing in the same direction. The interesting fact is that, althougn this is strictly in accordance. with the tradition when the intervening veign is allowed for, the coins that were minted in England for the last reign also had the head fac ng left, in «c----cordance with the wish of Edward The reverse sides of the coins have the same designs, the Maori warrior with a taiaha on the shilling, and the crossed meres on the threepenny bit