Australian And New Zealand Coins, How Far Back Can We Go - First Edition

1992 New Zealand $5 (Decimal Currency commemorative) from set (photographed through OGP):

Australia 1992 2 dollars:

There are many wrecks along the west coast, but Dirk Hartog was one of the lucky ones. He did land though and left an inscribed plate....
http://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/dir...artogs-plate

There was reports of blonde aboriginals in the area too.

Steve :)

For the last day of the year we reach 1991. Technically this was the year our $1 and $2 coins were issued (Feb 11 - 17th) but these coins were dated 1990 and thus I will show them when we reach 1990, along with a souvenir set of 1990 dated coins (Issued mid 1991 with a $1/$2 coin and note pack).

1991 is the date of the $1 and $2 coins that were issued in mid 1992, but they were minted in 1991 as I believe.





10 million of each value were issued as a complement to the 70 million dated 1990 coins issued. In both cases it was sufficient to the point, that no more $1 coins were needed until 2000 and $2 until 1997.

Many of these coins still circulate today and 28 years of constant use has seen their condition deteriorate down to good Fine and aVF.

1991 was the last year of NZ circulation coins until 1994.

Also issued was the annual set with a $5 coin, like the 1992 - this was sold during my gambling junkie phase. The photo is worse than ever. I show it as this was the first annual set to feature a $5 main coin rather than $1 coin. A $5 Anzac coin came out in 1990 as a joint issue with Australia, but was not part of any set.




The set had a $5 which showed the Rugby world cup, in which we lost to .......AUSTRALIA!

Preview of the original context of that 50 cent piece.

And those shillings were made in your country, 1942, 43 and 44 many Aussie coins were minted in San Francisco to help during the war!

Technically we have some USA coinage in the Australia/Noo Zillund thread!

I also like the Merino reverse on the 1991 50-cent coin:

Through the 80s inflation had got worse and thus the spending power of a dollar diminshed, so that by 1989, it could barely buy a chocolate bar (Snack size) or some other piece of snack food. In 1980 it could buy a whole meal.

Paper dollars and deuces wore out in months and thus they needed to find a more efficient way of issuing currency. They had noticed Australia had issued $1 and $2 coins, the British ahd their pound and the Canadians had also got dollar coins. Plus many other countries were issuing high denomination coins to replace banknotes.

In 1991 was issued a souvenir set of the new coins, all dated 1990, many think this was the official 1990 mint set, but it was not.



Only 18k issued, but sold as a souvenir item as it promoted NZ as a tourist spot. Here you can see what unworn examples of these coins looked like.





The 50c, 10c and 5c were set pieces only.

The official 1990 Uncirculated set was this thing and it was a one off issue. It showed a 5c to $1 coin (This was a large $1, not the new small one).




It was issued in 1990, in fact early 1990 over a year before the top set was. The designs showed colonial ships, the Teaty being designed, the Kotuku logo which was adapted on to the $2 coin. People under trees and a Maori waka. It was also issued as a silver proof set (All coins). I sold this set, so hence the bad shot.

1990 was the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi being signed, but all the celebrations were a hideous failure for 3 reasons.

1. Maori anger was simmering over, celebrations at Waitangi were marred by protests and violence, the Maori renaissance saw Maori angry at 150 years of racism and 2nd class treatment - however after 1990, there was more focus on respecting Maori language and culture and less on assimilation.

2. The Sesqui party - a huge expo like event was planned in Wellington, theme parks, shows, paegants - except the promoters were crooks who went bankrupt and the Sesqui exhibit closed after a few days as it was incredibly lame and overpriced. Also a lame butt song about "This is the moment" for the 1990 commonwealth games - one of the few successes.

3. 1990 was a horrible year, the de regulation had been underway for 6 years and inequality and unemployment. Many industries and factories closed down. Inflation and state owned enterprises gave way to private and corporate companies run by accountants and lawyers and the poor got poorer and rich got richer. NZ voted in 9 years of the worst and greediest governments in our history.

Thanks for the history lessons Princetane, your posts are very informative.

My only images of NZ coins.
$2


$1


20c


From Aus...

5c


2c


$2


Steve :)