New Zealand 1956 3 pence
The first specimen was lot 4214 in Goldberg sale 85 (Los Angeles, June 2015), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "New Zealand. Threepence, 1956. No shoulder strap/Strapless. NGC graded AU-58." This copper-nickel three pence is the last date of a type struck 1953-56. In 1967, New Zealand abandoned the sterling coinage she had used since the days of Captain Cook and adopted the decimal dollar and cent. Silver was dropped from the coinage in 1947, the same as Great Britain. This type was saved in large numbers as a souvenir and is common in all grades. This variety, with no visible seam on the shoulder of the queen's dress, is scarce. The objects on the reverse are Maori war clubs.
Recorded mintage: 4,800,000 plus proofs (including KM 25.2).
Specification: copper-nickel, 16.3 mm diameter, designed by Mary Gillick and George Kruger-Gray.
Catalog reference: KM-25.1 (no shoulder seam) and KM 25.2 (visible shoulder seam, see second specimen).
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, Aleeza Brown, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 85: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2015.
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