New Zealand ten-cent coin facts for kids
| New Zealand | |
| Value | 0.10 New Zealand dollars |
|---|---|
| Mass | 3.30 g |
| Diameter | 20.5 mm |
| Thickness | 1.58 mm |
| Edge | unmilled |
| Composition | Copper-plated steel |
| Years of minting | 2006–present |
| Catalog number | – |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Design date | 1999 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | A Māori carved mask or koruru with Māori rafter patterns |
| Designer | Reginald George James Berry |
| Design date | 1967 |
The New Zealand ten-cent coin is the coin with the lowest value in New Zealand. It's part of the New Zealand dollar money system. This coin first appeared on 10 July 1967. It took the place of the old New Zealand shilling coin. In 2006, the 10-cent coin became smaller. It also changed its material to copper-plated steel. This was part of a big update to New Zealand's coins.
Contents
The Coin's Design
Early Design: 1967 to 2006
On 10 July 1967, New Zealand changed its money system. This was called "decimalisation." The old "pound" money was replaced by the "dollar." One pound became two dollars. One shilling became ten cents. So, the 10-cent coin was made to directly replace the one-shilling coin.
These early 10-cent coins were made from a metal mix called cupronickel. They were about 23.62 millimeters wide. Each coin weighed 5.66 grams. For the first few years (1967, 1968, and 1969), the coins even had the words "one shilling" on them. This helped people get used to the new money. Those words were removed in 1970.
New Design: 2006 Onwards
A new version of the 10-cent coin came out on 31 July 2006. This was part of a plan by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. They called it "Change for the better." New 20-cent and 50-cent coins were also released at the same time.
The new 10-cent coin kept the same picture on its back (the "reverse" side) as the older coins. This picture was designed in 1967. The front of the coin (the "obverse" side) also stayed the same. It showed Queen Elizabeth II, a design from 1999.
However, the new coins were made much smaller. They are now made of steel with a layer of copper on top. These newer coins are 20.5 millimeters wide. They weigh 3.30 grams. Their edges are smooth, not ridged. You might also spot two tiny letters, "J" and "B," between the tongue of the tiki design.
The older, larger 10-cent coins were officially stopped from being used on 1 November 2006. This means they were "demonetised." A huge number of old 10-cent coins were made: over 260 million!
Since 2006, over 340 million of the new 10-cent coins have been made.
What About the Future?
Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022. The Reserve Bank has said they will use up all their current coin supplies first. After that, they will start making new coins. These new coins will feature King Charles III. It will likely be several years before you see coins with King Charles III on them.
See also
