New Zealand's bimetallic coinage arrived in 1994 as part of a broader regional shift — Australia had introduced similar technology in 1988, and Pacific nations followed incrementally. This particular reverse subject marks the 225th anniversary of Cook's first voyage, during which Endeavour ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef in June 1770 and required nearly seven weeks of emergency repairs on the Queensland coast before the journey could continue.
New Zealand's bimetallic coinage arrived in 1994 as part of a broader regional shift — Australia had introduced similar technology in 1988, and Pacific nations followed incrementally. This particular reverse subject marks the 225th anniversary of Cook's first voyage, during which Endeavour ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef in June 1770 and required nearly seven weeks of emergency repairs on the Queensland coast before the journey could continue.