Pattern 5 Cents

New Zealand decimalized on 10 July 1967, replacing the pound system with dollars and cents. The transition required extensive pattern striking in the years prior, with multiple compositions and designs tested before production specifications were locked. This copper-nickel 5-cent pattern was part of that evaluation process, produced to assess die performance and alloy behavior before the Royal Australian Mint and the Royal Mint handled the circulation strikes.

Most New Zealand decimal patterns from this period exist in tiny quantities, distributed primarily to treasury officials and mint archives rather than the numismatic trade.