10 Dollars - Elizabeth II 3rd Portrait, Karl Benz, Gilt issue

Karl Benz received his patent for the Motorwagen on January 29, 1886 — making 1998 the rough centennial marketing window New Zealand mints exploited for this issue. The gilt-on-brass format was a common cost-reduction strategy of the late 1990s commemorative boom, producing face-valid legal tender at a fraction of the cost of a genuine gold strike while retaining shelf appeal for the collector market.

The KM#114a designation distinguishes this plated variant from any precious metal siblings in the series.