New Zealand fifty-cent coin facts for kids
| New Zealand | |
| Value | 0.50 New Zealand dollars |
|---|---|
| Mass | 5.00 g |
| Diameter | 24.75 mm |
| Thickness | 1.70 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Composition | nickel-plated steel |
| Years of minting | 1967 – present |
| Catalog number | – |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand |
| Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Design date | 1999 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | Captain Cook's HMS Endeavour near Mount Taranaki |
| Designer | Reginald George James Berry |
| Design date | 1967 |
The New Zealand fifty-cent coin is a special coin used in New Zealand. It's part of the New Zealand dollar money system. When New Zealand changed to decimal currency on 10 July 1967, this coin was the largest in size and weight. It replaced an older coin called the "crown" (which was worth five shillings).
In 2006, the fifty-cent coin got a makeover! It was made smaller, lighter, and from a cheaper metal called nickel-plated steel. The older, larger fifty-cent coins were then taken out of circulation on 1 November 2006.
Both the old and new fifty-cent coins show a famous ship called HMS Endeavour on one side. This was the ship Captain Cook sailed when he became the first British person to arrive in New Zealand in 1769. The other side of the coin, like all New Zealand coins, features the reigning monarch. So far, this has always been Queen Elizabeth II.
Contents
The History of the New Zealand Fifty-Cent Coin
How the Larger Coin Began (1967-2006)
New Zealand decided to switch to decimal currency in 1963. This meant changing from pounds, shillings, and pence to dollars and cents. The new fifty-cent coin was designed to be like a quarter of a pound. It kept the same size and material as the old Crown coin, but with a new picture on it.
The first fifty-cent coin, used from 1967 to 2006, was made of a metal mix called cupro-nickel. It was quite large, about 31.75 mm (1.25 in) wide and weighing 13.61 g (0.48 oz). The edge of this coin had five bumpy sections.
From 1967 to 1985, all New Zealand coins showed a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin. James Berry designed the back of all the new decimal coins. His design for the fifty-cent coin showed HMS Endeavour with Mount Taranaki in the background. The word ENDEAVOUR was written at the bottom. This design is still used today!
New Zealand officially started using decimal money on 10 July 1967. Many fifty-cent coins were made that year. Because so many were made, no more were needed until 1971.
Later, the Queen's portrait on the coin changed. In 1986, a new portrait by Raphael Maklouf was used. Then, in 1999, the current portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley was introduced. Interestingly, no 50-cent coins were made between 1989 and 2000.
The Smaller Coin Arrives (2006-Present)
In 2006, New Zealand decided to update its coins again. The fifty-cent coin was changed because it was bigger than most coins around the world, which made it a bit awkward for people to use.
In 2004, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand asked people if they wanted smaller coins. More than half of the public agreed. This number grew even higher when people learned it would save money. The coin's material was changed to nickel-plated steel, which cut down on production costs. The edge of the coin also became smooth.
New, smaller fifty-cent coins were made and started circulating on 31 July 2006. For a short time, both the old large coins and the new smaller coins were used. But on 1 November 2006, the larger coins were officially taken out of circulation.
The Future of the Fifty-Cent Coin
After Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022, New Zealand will eventually get new coins. These new coins will feature King Charles III. However, the Reserve Bank plans to use up all the current coins first. This means it might be several years before you see coins with King Charles III on them.
Special Commemorative Fifty-Cent Coins
Sometimes, special fifty-cent coins are made to celebrate important events. These are called commemorative coins.
In 1969, a special fifty-cent coin was made to celebrate 200 years since HMS Endeavour arrived in New Zealand. This coin had a message on its edge. Not many of these were made, so they are quite rare!
Another special fifty-cent coin was released in 1994. This one was made of two different metals, making it New Zealand's only "bimetallic" coin. It marked 225 years since the Endeavour arrived.
In 2003, six different fifty-cent coins were released. These coins featured characters from The Lord of the Rings movies. The link to New Zealand was that the movies were directed by a New Zealander, Peter Jackson.
There are two special 50-cent coins that you might still find in your change today!
- The first one came out on 23 March 2015. It has the usual Queen's head on one side. But on the back, it shows two soldiers, one from New Zealand and one from Australia. They are surrounded by ferns and a hammerhead shark design. The words "The Spirit of Anzac We Will Remember Them" and "1915–2015" are on it. This coin celebrated 100 years since the Battle of Gallipoli. It was the first New Zealand coin to have colour, with a black background behind the soldiers. Only 1,000,000 of these were made.
- The second special coin was released on 1 October 2018. It also has the Queen's head on the front. The back features a red poppy, surrounded by a wreath design with silver ferns. It says "Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month." This coin celebrated 100 years since Armistice Day, which marks the end of World War I. It was the second coin to feature colour. Only 2,000,000 of these were made.
