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1/2 Crown - Elizabeth II 1st portrait
| Issuer | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953-1965 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Crown (1/8) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The crowned shield of the New Zealand coat of arms is centrally positioned, incorporating the four quadrants representing England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Southern Cross on a blue field, flanked by an ornamental Māori border design. The denomination HALF·CROWN appears in the upper legend arc with NEW·ZEALAND in the outer legend, while the date is placed in the lower exergue. The engraver's initials KG for George Kruger Gray appear in the lower right field. |
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| Additional information |
New Zealand retained the half crown denomination well past its practical usefulness, partly out of institutional inertia and partly because the denomination anchored the pre-decimal system at its upper end for everyday retail transactions. When decimalisation finally came in 1967, the half crown was the only coin not given a decimal equivalent — it was simply abolished rather than converted, since no clean decimal value mapped onto its 2s 6d worth.
The KM#29.1 and 29.2 distinction reflects a portrait modification made during the run, not a compositional change.