The crown was a large coin denomination worth a quarter of one New Zealand pound (five shillings, or 60 pence). New Zealand crowns were issued three times, in the same size and weight as the British crown, already in use in New Zealand at the time. The 1935 and 1949 crowns were struck in 1 ounce (28.3 grams) of 0.500 silver, and the 1953 Coronation crown was struck in cupronickel.
History Before and during the establishment of the Colony of New Zealand in the 1840s, Spanish silver coins formed the bulk of currency in circulation, alongside coinage from the United States, Portugal, France, and the Netherlands. British silver coins became dominant following the confirmation of the pound sterling as the sole legal tender, enacted with the 1858 English Laws Act.
Increased circulation in New Zealand of the Australian pound, especially during the Great Depression, and the devaluation of the New Zealand pound led to mass currency smuggling and coin shortages. The Coinage Act was introduced in 1933 to address these problems and allow the issue of independent coinage of the New Zealand pound.
Allan Sutherland of the New Zealand Numismatic Society first proposed a commemorative crown issue to the Secretary to the Treasury in 1933, during the final stages of the production of the initial issue of New Zealand pound coinage. Sutherland cited precedence in the commemorative crown issues of the British pound, alongside potential government profit. After some deliberation around the reverse design, the 1935 Waitangi crown commemorating the Treaty of Waitangi was produced in only limited quantities. Only 1128 were minted, sold mainly to collectors. While public interest was low at the time of issue, their rarity means Waitangi crowns, especially in uncirculated condition, sell for high prices at auction.
Later crowns were produced in larger quantities intended for circulation. A total of 200,020 crowns were produced in 1949 in anticipation of a Royal visit to New Zealand of George VI, which was abandoned due to ill health. A further 257,000 crowns were minted in 1953, commemorating the coronation of Elizabeth II.
+ Commemorative crown coins of the New Zealand pound Image Name Value Technical parameters Edge Description Designer Mintage Date of issue Obverse Reverse Diameter Mass Composition Waitangi crown 5s milled Tāmati Wāka Nene, with taiaha and wearing a piupiu, shaking hands with William Hobson James Berry, Percy Metcalfe 1,128 1935 Royal visit crown A fern leaf frond surrounded by the four stars of the Southern Cross. James Berry 200,020 1949 Coronation crown Initials of Elizabeth II with Royal Crown, whakairo carving, stars of the Southern Cross Robert M. Conly 257,000 1953
Decimalisation
New Zealand decimalised the national currency in 1967, introducing the New Zealand dollar at two dollars to the pound, and abolishing former pound denominations. The crown's value of five shillings was nominally replaced by the 50 cent coin, which adopted the smaller size and weight of the half-crown
Mintage
+New Zealand crown mintage Year Monarch Number minted Composition 1935 George V 1,128 0.500 Silver 1949 George VI 200,020 0.500 Silver 1953 Elizabeth II 257,000 Cupronickel
References