History of Chatham Islands numismatics facts for kids

In 1999, a special group called the Chatham Islands Note Corporation made unique banknotes. They did this to celebrate the Chatham Islands being the first place where people live to enter the third millennium. These notes are not "legal tender." This means no one has to accept them as real money. However, some shops on the Chatham Islands did accept them. Some of these shop owners were even part of the corporation that made the notes!

The Chatham Islands Note Corporation first started in Christchurch, New Zealand. A person named Leon Morel helped sell these notes to people who collect money, called numismatists. Later, the corporation moved its main office to Waitangi on the Chatham Islands. The value of these notes was the same as the New Zealand dollar. They are quite special because the first set included $3 and $15 notes. The second set even had an $8 note!

Are These Notes Real Money?

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand, which is like the main bank of New Zealand, made it clear. They said these Chatham Island notes are not "legal tender." This means they are not official money that everyone must accept. Murray Sherwin, a leader at the Reserve Bank, said these notes were "a bit of fun." He also said it was fine if people wanted to use them for buying things.

The Different Sets of Notes

There were two main sets, or "series," of these notes.

Series I Notes

The first set of notes, called Series I, came out in late 1999. They were ready for January 1, 2000. This set included $2, $3, $10, and $15 notes. Their design looked a lot like American money. They were printed on a special plastic-like paper called Tyvek. The notes showed their value in both cents and dollars. Some sets came in special cardboard folders. These folder notes had a different hologram than the regular ones. A hologram is a special image that changes when you tilt it.

Series II Notes

The second set, Series II, was printed in 2000 and released in 2001. This set had $3, $5, $8, $10, and $15 notes. These notes were made from cotton-fibre paper in Thailand. The front of these notes looked very similar to Series I notes. But the dates and other small details were different. Like Series I, these notes also showed their value in both cents and dollars. The hologram on these notes was very unique. It had an albatross bird that looked like it was flying when you looked at it with a special security device.

In 2001, a $5 coin was also planned to be released with the Series II notes. About 5,000 of these coins were planned. But the Reserve Bank of New Zealand stopped them from being made. This happened even though New Zealand did not have a $5 coin of its own. About 200 of these coins ended up with collectors. The rest were never made, except for 100 kept by the Chatham Islands Note Corporation.

What Do the Notes Look Like?

Each note in both series has a special theme and design.

Series I Designs

All Series I notes have the date '2000' in the four corners. They show a map of the Chatham Islands on the left. On the right, they feature the Chatham Islands taiko, which is a rare bird. The back of the notes has a green border. The hologram on these notes shows a globe with the Asia-Pacific region. It also says '1st' and 'WORLD FIRST' and 'AUTHENTIC' when you tilt it.

$2 (The Sea)

• Front: This note has purple and grey-blue colors.
• Back: It shows a Lobster, the sea, and the Chatham Islands black robin.
• Theme: The Sea.

$3 (The Community)

• Front: This note has purple and red-pink colors.
• Back: It shows the first motor vehicle, representing the community, and the Chatham Islands black robin.
• Theme: The Community.

$10 (The History)

• Front: This note has green and yellow-brown colors.
• Back: It shows images related to history and the Chatham Islands black robin.
• Theme: The History.

$15 (The Land)

• Front: This note has green and brown colors.
• Back: It shows a Nikau palm, horses (representing horsepower), and the Chatham Islands black robin.
• Theme: The Land.

Series II Designs

Series II notes are made of cotton fibre paper. The date '2001' is in three corners. Instead of a map, an albatross bird is on the left side of the notes. The Chatham Islands Taiko bird is still on the right. The back of these notes has olive-green-black borders. The hologram on these notes shows a compass. When you tilt the note, you can see a map of the Chatham Islands and the Chatham Islands Note Corporation. If you tilt it the other way, you can see a rock lobster.

$3 (Horse Racing)

• Front: This note has pink and yellow colors.
• Back: It shows horse racing, the Chatham Islands Jockey Club, and a horse named Woytek's Fool.
• Theme: Horse Racing.

$5 (The Ancestors)

• Front: This note has green and yellow colors.
• Back: It shows images related to the Morioris, who are the native people of the Chatham Islands.
• Theme: The Ancestors.

$8 (The Message)

• Front: This note has lilac and blue colors.
• Back: It shows a new dawn, a "Spring symphony," and guardians of Mt Hakepa on Pitt Island. There is also a map of the Chatham Islands.
• Theme: The Message.

$10 (Wrestler)

• Front: This note has lilac-blue and green-yellow colors.
• Back: It features Abe Jacobs, a World Champion Wrestler.
• Theme: Wrestler.

$15 (Sunderland Flying Boat)

• Front: This note has blue, pink, and yellow colors.
• Back: It shows a Short Sunderland, which is a type of flying boat.
• Theme: Flying Boat.

The Special Coins

Two special coins were also made, though they were not officially allowed.

The $5 Milled Edge Coin

This coin is 1-1/4 inches (30 mm) wide. Not many of these coins exist, probably less than 300.

• Front: It shows a picture of Tommy Solomon, who was believed to be the last full-blooded Moriori person. The date '2001' is split by his picture. It says 'FIVE NEW MILLENNIUM DOLLARS' below.
• Back: It has a map of the Chatham Islands with '$5' below it. It says 'CHATHAM ISLANDS NEW ZEALAND TERRITORIES SOUTH PACIFIC'.

The Sterling Silver $50 Milled Edge Coin

This coin is made of real silver and is 1.5 inches (38 mm) wide. It is very rare, with fewer than 25 known to exist.

• Front: It shows a picture of King George III, who ruled from 1760 to 1820. It says 'CHATHAM ISLANDS' above his picture and '1760–1820' below his chin. The date '2001' is also on it. It says 'FIFTY DOLLAR MILLENNIUM SILVER PIECE'.
• Back: It shows a compass pointing North, a ship, and an old Royal Navy officer's hat with the number '50' on it. It mentions Lieut Broughton and the ship BRIG CHATHAM from 1791. It also talks about the "DISCOVERY OF THE CHATHAM ISLANDS."
• This $50 coin celebrates two things: the new millennium and 210 years since the British discovered the Chatham Islands.

Both the $5 and $50 coins have "milled edges," which means they have grooves around the rim. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand stopped these coins from being officially released in 2001.

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