NEW COINS ISSUED

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3678, 9 March 1940, Page 2

NEW COINS ISSUED

CENTENNIAL HALF-CROWN PENNIES AND HALF-PENNIES After some delay the New Zealand Centennial half-crown has made its appearance in Cambridge. With the coin in circulation, New Zealand philatelic and numismatic celebration of the Centennial is complete. Twelve special postage stamps were issued some time ago, and the half-crown was placed in circulation during the last few weeks.

The new penny and half-penny coins, although dated 1940, are not special Centennial issues. They will be minted in successive years, with the necessary alteration in date.

The half-crown bears on its obverse side the uncrowned effigy of the King, with "the inscription "George VI., King . Emperor." The reverse side has the figure of a Maori woman against a background which shows the sun and its rays overhead. A scroll below bears the dates "1840-1940." Above the 1840 section,are a Maori wharepurii, or hut, a puhara, or look-out stage, and a cabbage tree. That part of the design is symbolical of New Zealand as it was in 1840. Above the 1940 part of the scroll is a group of modern city buildings, symbolical of the present time. Pound the whole is the inscription, "New Zealand Centennial Half Crown." Excellent Design It will be generally admitted that the Royal Mint has made ant excellent job of the design. Very fine detail is discernible, and there has been a close adherence to the design as originally drawn by Mr L. C. Mitchell,, Wellington, although the Royal Mint found it necessary, to' make several minor modifications and to cut out some of the detail to improve the general effec-> tiveness of the design. Several people have, at first glance, mistaken the Maori watch-tower for the Exhibition tower, but this is a mistake likely to be made only through a cursory* examination, The twp new-jbr.onze coins, which;? at present in their pristine purity.: look as nearly.like gold coins, as any that New Zealanders : are likely to: jingle in their pockets, have* the same obverse as the half-crown; On the reverse of the penny are : a tui and a kowhai blossom, and on the reverse of the half-penny is a hei-. tiki with®Srtaori ornamented scrolls on each side. The inscriptions are "New Zealand, One Penny, 1940," and "New Zealand, Half Penny, 1940," with no mention of the Centennial.