NEW COINS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 143, 14 December 1933, Page 22

NEW COINS

NO REFERENCE TO GOD *

REPLY BY TREASURY

A complaint by an Auckland clergyman, the Bey. P. N..-Knight,.that reference to God and the woi-ds-'"ndei'de-fensor". (defender, of the faith),' had been omitted from the new half-crowns was replied to by the Secretary of the Treasury (Mr. A." D. Park), who pointed out that the newcoins had been specially approved by his Majesty, the King. "The English coin," said Mr. Knight, "states that George V is King 'dei gratia', by the grace of God. The New Zealand coin declares him King without any reference to God at all, yet Kings, rule and Dominions prosper, and. we all live and move and have our being by the grace of God. Why should wo refuse to acknowledge this!" • He went on to condemn the"omission of the words "fidei defensor," defender of the faith. "Having removed.all reference to God's grace and the accepted faith of the Empire," he said, "tha coin presents us as objects of loyalty with two Maori tikis;, hideous 'forms, with their tongues, hanging out." •• Mr. Park said that as the ■'designs of the coins were executed and approved m London he- had had inquiries- made at the Eoyal. Mint to ascertain,'the reason for the alteration.' He had been advised that his Majesty the Kinghad specially approved the form of theKoyal style and title and of the words being shown in English' on . alt new Dominion coins. The SoutKern. iihodosian coins wero ; similar, and in fact Australia was the only, Dominion Silo Tilths yWS "" fUU Stj-Ie and •+t,"^ifi ro.iSill(? rcas 9to-to'suppose that the inclusion of the Maori tikis in the design as indicative" of . a lack of rehgioua faith in New Zealand,"?" marked Mr. Park. "This form of ornamentation merely embodies a dis-Hnctn-o feature peculiar -to th a •Dominion coinage." , •