Catalog
6 Pence - George V
| Issuer | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Year | 1933-1936 |
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| Engraver(s) | Obverse: Percy Metcalfe Reverse: George Kruger Gray |
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| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A huia (Heteralocha acutirostris), an extinct endemic New Zealand bird, is depicted perched on a branch facing right, rendered in naturalistic detail by engraver George Kruger Gray. The legend NEW·ZEALAND arcs across the upper field, flanking the designer's initials K·G. The denomination SIXPENCE appears in the lower field with the date below, all within a beaded inner border. |
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| Additional information |
New Zealand's first domestic coinage series — of which this is part — wasn't struck in New Zealand at all. The entire output came from the Royal Mint in London, a practical consequence of the dominion having no mint of its own. The 1933 issue inaugurated the series following the Imperial Conference decision to allow dominions to issue distinct coinage rather than rely on British types.
The .500 fine silver specification was a deliberate step down from sterling standard, matching the fineness the UK itself had adopted in 1920 after wartime silver costs made .925 economically untenable.