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 Replies: 10 / Views: 2,738 |
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Valued Member
Australia
248 Posts |
Does anyone know where I could get a good reference book for other Oceanic countries, such as New Zealand and Fiji?
I keep noodling these funny-looking NZ coins that look as if they've been flattened by a steamroller, but have so many incorrect details that they look fake.
Has anyone else noticed anything unusual about the NZ 1985 5c coin, and if so, does anyone know what the background story is behind this?
I've heard of people forging $2 coins before, but forging a 5c coin seems a bit ridiculous. Where can I get more information about NZ coins, including varieties, errors and forgeries?
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Formerly nancyc
Australia
5385 Posts |
life is a mystery to be lived not a problem to be solved
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
7096 Posts |
Thanks for the "Heads Up" Nevol. I just ordered a copy of the NZ book  |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
From memory 1985 has an altered design as the dies were prepared in South Africa instead of the usual Australia / Canada mint.
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Valued Member
 Australia
248 Posts |
Thanks, Nevol. That book looks very useful, so I've bought a copy of it.  One online website claims that the 1985 NZ coins were minted in Ottawa, but if that be the case, I would have expected them to look more like the ones we had minted in Ottawa. As a result, I think gxseries' explanation is more likely, but I'm going to wait for the book to arrive and let it have the final say over this matter.  |
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Formerly nancyc
Australia
5385 Posts |
The NZ Catalogue doesn't go into where any the coins were minted unfortunately, but these entries are noted:
5c 1981 'Canada Reverse Mule' Excessively rare, no sales noted)
20c 1975 Error struck on Hong Kong $2 blank, (a few known)
50c 1985 'Canada Reverse Mule'(Excessively rare, no sales noted)
Whether this can be taken as any indication of where these coins were actually minted, who can say.
life is a mystery to be lived not a problem to be solved
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2180 Posts |
I don't believe there is a Fiji catalogue though one of the old Australian catalogues that was published in the early 1980s covered New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. It hasn't been published a long while though. The 1985 5c was struck in Canada as were all New Zealand circulating coins from 1980 to 1987, though for whatever reason the 1985 coins had a low relief portrait of the Queen. I think other coins struck at the Royal Canadian Mint for that year may have had a similar obverse but I'm not sure. |
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Valued Member
Australia
248 Posts |
Thanks, everyone. Unfortunately, the book shed no light on this matter, but after some digging around on the Numista website suggested by Nevol, I did get an answer to my question. Apparently, all the NZ mint set and proof sets coins struck in 1984 and 1985 used the high relief portrait, whereas all the circulating coins struck in these years used the low relief one. However, because the NZ 5c and 10c coins weren't minted for circulation in 1984, there's only a high relief version of the 5c and 10c for 1984.  |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2180 Posts |
Possibly a cost-cutting measure: low relief means longer die life.
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Valued Member
Australia
248 Posts |
I reckon the low relief makes the coins look cheap and amateurish in comparison to the high relief version. Does anyone else feel that way?
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2180 Posts |
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Replies: 10 / Views: 2,738 |
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Posted 05/10/2016 11:13 pm
