Distribution Urged Of Crowns Struck For Royal Visit

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22808, 1 December 1948, Page 6

Distribution Urged Of Crowns Struck For Royal Visit

An appeal to the Government not to allow 200,000 five-shilling pieces struck in London for the Royal visit to be melted down was made by the Royal Numismatic Society of New ZealandAssociated with the president of the society, Mr. Alan Sutherland, and the president of the Christchurch branch, Mr. L. J. Dale, in the appeal was Mr. Harold Mattingly, a world authority on numismatics, who is visiting New Zealand..

There was some doubt as to whether the crowns would be melted down now that the Royal tour had been postponed, Mr. Sutherland said. He stated that the design of the coin was of a general nature. There was no specific reference to the Royal visit, except the date. It was the practice of other countries, such as England and South Africa, to issue crown pieces periodically and that struck for the Royal visit to South Africa had also had a general design- The society had asked that the coins should be brought to New Zealand and distributed. A brief reference was made to the crowns by Mr. Mattingly wfien he was adrdessing the society tonight. He expressed the hope that they would be saved.