CENTENNIAL COINS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 300, 15 September 1936, Page 3

CENTENNIAL COINS

* Commemorative Half-crown “KEYS TO HISTORY” , A commemorative half-crown to be issued at face value to mark the centenhial of New Zealand in 1940 was suggested at the last meeting of the New Zealand Numismatic Society, which decided to recommend .the matter to the Government for consideration. The president, Sir James Elliott, said the annual report crystallised the views of the society in regard to coins versus medals for modern commemorative purposes. It was desirable that this important event in the history ,of the country should be fittingly commemorated, and there was nothing better than coins or medals which were durable and illustrative keys to history; they had a wider geographical distribution than statuary, and throughout the centuries had remained the best and most convenient form of commemorating historical events., Mr. Allan Sutherland advanced the view that a commemorative half-crown, issued at face value, would be a popular means of commemorating the centennial; such coins would flow as currency, and everyone would share in the commemoration and be enabled to retain specimens as permanent mementoes of the event. If a decimal system of coinage were adopted, as had been suggested for 1940, the proposal would be subject to review. Mr. A. Quinnell, Miss U. Tewesley, and Mr. H. G. Williams advocated the issue of a complete series of new designs for the centennial year. Mr. H. G. Mayer favoured the issue of a commemorative half-crown, with perhaps a medal for limited circulation. The cost of new dies for a complete series of new designs would be considerable, and the present designs had not been in use long enough to warrant a complete change. Sir James Elliott said that the NewZealand coin designs had been carefully chosen as emblematical of New Zealand, and he assumed that they would long remain in use, with perhaps minor alterations. . „ . Coronation Coins. Questions were asked regarding, coronation sets for New Zealand, and it was explained that the Treasury had received no advice in that connection from England, and therefore it was likely that the head of the new King would ai»pear on New Zealand coins only as fresh supplies were required. Press reports indicated that a complete series of new reverse designs had been prepared by .G. Kruger Gray for the Imperial coronation set, while H. Paget and P. Metcalfe had prepared the uncrowned and crowned effigy of Hi s Majesty King Edward VIH to appear on all new Imperial and Dominion issues. Mr. C. Berry asked when. New Zealand pennies and halfpennies would be issued to replace the Imperial bronze coins in use, and to complete the New Zealand series. It was explained that the society had made no definite representations on the subject. Some members had refrained from pressing for any change because there had been no urgent need to make the change as in the case of the z silver. In the event of the decimal system of coinage being adopted, such as the Crown-cent scheme, the penny ana the halfpenny would be the only coins abolished, to be replaced by a cent, while ail the silver coins now circulating could be fitted into the decimal system (crown, 100 cents; half-crown, 50 cents: florin, 40 cents: shilling, 20 cents: sixpence, 10 cents; and threepence, 5 cents). It was agreed that the matter would have to be settled before the centennial year. Hobson- Waitangi Medal. One member said that some New Zealand historians bad expressed the view that Governor Hobson should be commemorated in some enduring way, preferably on a medal similar to the society s attractive Waitangi-Bledisloe medal. 1934. The bust of Hobson could not be shown on a coin, which would already beal the monarch’s likeness —it was not usual to have two heads on a coin. Die Waitangi-Hobson medal proposal, additional to the commemorative coin, seemed an attractive one. Sir James Elliott considered the medal proposal should be held over in the meantime. It was decided to make a definite recommendation to the Government that a commemorative half-crown be issued at face value anl that the society offer its co-operation in respect to any further coins or medals decided upon by the Government to mark the centennial of New Zealand in 1940.