New Zealand's bullion kiwi series has run in various forms since the 1990s, but the transition to Charles III obverses has required re-tooling across the entire Commonwealth issuer network — a logistical reality that pushed several first-portrait issues into 2024 and 2025 depending on the mint's production schedule. The 1st portrait designation matters here: the King William Blundell portrait by Martin Jennings was approved for circulation coinage, but Commonwealth bullion programs adopted it on differing timelines, making early-dated strikes the ones to document carefully for type completeness.
New Zealand's bullion kiwi series has run in various forms since the 1990s, but the transition to Charles III obverses has required re-tooling across the entire Commonwealth issuer network — a logistical reality that pushed several first-portrait issues into 2024 and 2025 depending on the mint's production schedule. The 1st portrait designation matters here: the King William Blundell portrait by Martin Jennings was approved for circulation coinage, but Commonwealth bullion programs adopted it on differing timelines, making early-dated strikes the ones to document carefully for type completeness.