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Posted 03/04/2022 04:16 am
1965 - The Last year of Predecimal coins - Part 1 Circulating coins issued in 1965.
Part 2 will deal with the sets briefly.
1965 was the last year of predecimal coins being issued in New Zealand, coins dated 1965 were likely struck into 1966 and even 1967 as quantities were needed until July 1967 when Decimal currency came in.
The Halfcrown and Penny were only issued for the sets, but there is enough proof through slightly worn examples of both, to prove some of these did enter circulation later in 1966 (Mainly as the sets did not arrive until September 1966)
Numbers issued of the other 5 denominations were very high, especially the Florin to substitute for the Halfcrown and also of the Halfpenny, Shilling and Sixpence.
A glittering parade of 1965 coins.
Coins issued in 1965
Halfcrowns - 200,000 (For sets only and issued Sep 1966 - not legal tender)
Florins - 9,450,000
Shillings - 4,500,000
Sixpences - 8,600,000
Threepences - 4,200,000
Pennies - 200,000 (In sets only, issued Sep 1966)
Halfpence - 5,200,000
Total coins issued (Excluding 200k of each for set coins, a total of 1.4 million coins subtracted) - 30,950,000
Including the set coins - 32,350,000
Face Value of circulating coins only - £1,410,416/13/4 (funny number of halfpennies again)
Set numbers = 200,000
Blue Prooflike sets - 25,000 (Included 500 Ballot sets)
Green Selected coin sets - 75,000
Pink Ordinary coin sets - 100,000
Each set contained one of each coin, making up 7 coins per set and 1.4 million coins in total.
Some may have been cut open and used in circulation especially the Pink set as it cost only 10/- barely more than 1.5x face value.
1965 was the only year in which the face value of coinage issued was over 1 million pounds, over 900 thousand was in Florins alone. Mostly this was due to the Halfcrown being demonitised on May 4 1965, as to prepare people for decimal currency.
An illegal spend after May 1965!
They really wanted to remove the penny and halfpence too, but these were too necessary for small change and lower value commerce. In 1965, a penny still had some value being able to buy a few sweets. They got part of their wish with the Penny being limited to sets only - but there was some 18 million coins from 1964 and over 100 million pennies in circulation anyway!
1965 was a great year for some errors too, extremely rare ones include a halfpenny with a British heads (The latin legend rather than our English language one) and a Threepence struck on a Hong Kong 5 cent coin planchet (A tiny brass coin). Both are mega rare costing 5 figures.
Less rare are the 1965 Broken back shilling and the broken wing on the sixpence.
Broken wing Type 1 - VF
There were 2 types, a partially broken wing like the coin above and fully broken wing. Both are scarce without being rare, but this partially broken one is more scarce than the more broken one. Caused by a filled die and likely from striking a huge number of sixpences (History shows that sixpences were minted in quite low quantities most years after 1934). Of the 8.4 million circulation sixpences, around 200k were broken wings and only appear in circulation coins, none of the set ones.
The coins were issued at various times between 1965 and early 1967 and many of the 6d, 1/- and 2/- ended up remaining in circulation well after 1967 as they fitted as 5c, 10c and 20c coins as well. Just in case you can't understand why your 1965 Shilling looks as flat as a 1948 one! However finding nice examples will be easy and it is actually very hard to find a worn 1965 Halfpenny, Threepence or Halfcrown (Pennies tarnish very easy).
Uncirculated examples of all the 1965 coins are standard, you may have to buy a whole set for the Penny and Halfcrown, however here in NZ at least, a party trick is to buy a 1965 (Most likely Pink or Green) set, cut out the Penny and Halfcrown above each other and sell it loose, and then sell the rest separately. Mostly the prices are not any cheaper. More on this in the second part.
This would lead to a coin shortage for the Bronze in 1966 and in late 1966, 50 tonnes of Australian pennies were shipped over here to help out. The Australians had no need for them, given they had changed to decimal currency in Feb 1966.
Part 2 will deal with the sets briefly.
1965 was the last year of predecimal coins being issued in New Zealand, coins dated 1965 were likely struck into 1966 and even 1967 as quantities were needed until July 1967 when Decimal currency came in.
The Halfcrown and Penny were only issued for the sets, but there is enough proof through slightly worn examples of both, to prove some of these did enter circulation later in 1966 (Mainly as the sets did not arrive until September 1966)
Numbers issued of the other 5 denominations were very high, especially the Florin to substitute for the Halfcrown and also of the Halfpenny, Shilling and Sixpence.
A glittering parade of 1965 coins.
Coins issued in 1965
Halfcrowns - 200,000 (For sets only and issued Sep 1966 - not legal tender)
Florins - 9,450,000
Shillings - 4,500,000
Sixpences - 8,600,000
Threepences - 4,200,000
Pennies - 200,000 (In sets only, issued Sep 1966)
Halfpence - 5,200,000
Total coins issued (Excluding 200k of each for set coins, a total of 1.4 million coins subtracted) - 30,950,000
Including the set coins - 32,350,000
Face Value of circulating coins only - £1,410,416/13/4 (funny number of halfpennies again)
Set numbers = 200,000
Blue Prooflike sets - 25,000 (Included 500 Ballot sets)
Green Selected coin sets - 75,000
Pink Ordinary coin sets - 100,000
Each set contained one of each coin, making up 7 coins per set and 1.4 million coins in total.
Some may have been cut open and used in circulation especially the Pink set as it cost only 10/- barely more than 1.5x face value.
1965 was the only year in which the face value of coinage issued was over 1 million pounds, over 900 thousand was in Florins alone. Mostly this was due to the Halfcrown being demonitised on May 4 1965, as to prepare people for decimal currency.
An illegal spend after May 1965!
They really wanted to remove the penny and halfpence too, but these were too necessary for small change and lower value commerce. In 1965, a penny still had some value being able to buy a few sweets. They got part of their wish with the Penny being limited to sets only - but there was some 18 million coins from 1964 and over 100 million pennies in circulation anyway!
1965 was a great year for some errors too, extremely rare ones include a halfpenny with a British heads (The latin legend rather than our English language one) and a Threepence struck on a Hong Kong 5 cent coin planchet (A tiny brass coin). Both are mega rare costing 5 figures.
Less rare are the 1965 Broken back shilling and the broken wing on the sixpence.
Broken wing Type 1 - VF
There were 2 types, a partially broken wing like the coin above and fully broken wing. Both are scarce without being rare, but this partially broken one is more scarce than the more broken one. Caused by a filled die and likely from striking a huge number of sixpences (History shows that sixpences were minted in quite low quantities most years after 1934). Of the 8.4 million circulation sixpences, around 200k were broken wings and only appear in circulation coins, none of the set ones.
The coins were issued at various times between 1965 and early 1967 and many of the 6d, 1/- and 2/- ended up remaining in circulation well after 1967 as they fitted as 5c, 10c and 20c coins as well. Just in case you can't understand why your 1965 Shilling looks as flat as a 1948 one! However finding nice examples will be easy and it is actually very hard to find a worn 1965 Halfpenny, Threepence or Halfcrown (Pennies tarnish very easy).
Uncirculated examples of all the 1965 coins are standard, you may have to buy a whole set for the Penny and Halfcrown, however here in NZ at least, a party trick is to buy a 1965 (Most likely Pink or Green) set, cut out the Penny and Halfcrown above each other and sell it loose, and then sell the rest separately. Mostly the prices are not any cheaper. More on this in the second part.
This would lead to a coin shortage for the Bronze in 1966 and in late 1966, 50 tonnes of Australian pennies were shipped over here to help out. The Australians had no need for them, given they had changed to decimal currency in Feb 1966.
Edited by Princetane
03/04/2022 5:24 pm
03/04/2022 5:24 pm
