New Zealand 1956 6 pence
This specimen was lot 74267 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2023), where it sold for $2,160. The catalog description[1] noted, "NEW ZEALAND. 6 Pence, 1956. Elizabeth II. PCGS PROOF-66 Cameo. A lovely Proof striking with frosty devices and needle sharp details." New Zealand did not receive her own coinage until 1933, British coins being used heretofore. Issue of pennies and half pennies did not begin until 1940. This type was minted 1956-65. It is a redesign of the sixpence of 1953-57 (KM 26.1) which struck up poorly on the shoulder of the queen's dress. This date is common but the proofs are rare. The coinage was decimalized in 1967.
Recorded mintage: 2,000,000 plus proofs.
Specification: 2.83 g, copper-nickel, 19.3 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-26.2.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, February 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the David Sterling Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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