Summary

Proof 1/2 Penny, Issued by New Zealand, 1953
Minted by Royal, London

Obverse Description

Laureate bust right; around, + QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND; artist's initials incuse on neck truncation, MG (Mary Gillick)

Reverse Description

At centre, between two Maori scroll designs, a tiki; around, NEW ZEALAND HALF PENNY; below, 1953

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

'New Zealand - 250,000 crowns, 120,000 halfcrowns, 250,000 florins, 200,000 shillings, 1,200,000 sixpences, 4,000,000 threepences, 2,400,000 pennies and 120,000 halfpence were struck.

All bore on the obverse the uncrowned effigy of Her Majesty by Mrs. Gillick, O.B.E., together with the incritpion "QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND". The reverse designs of the denominations from the halfpenny to the halfcrown were unchanged, but the reverse design of the crown was new.

It consisted of a Maori carving, surmounted by the crowned Royal Cypher, all between five-pointed stars, representing the Southern Cross, and the inscription "NEW ZEALAND CROWN 1953". Mr. T.H. Paget modelled the design in plaster according to a drawing from New Zealand. The design is illustratyed in Plate A, Fig. 9. 7,000 specimen sets of all denominations were also supplied in cases.'

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