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Sunday, 15 October 2017

599) Little Spotted Kiwi: Gold 10 Dollars, Silver 10 Dollars and 1 Dollar (Proof & Proof with applied Colour) coin issued on 27.09.2017 by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand & minted by BH Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH:

599) Little Spotted Kiwi: Gold 10 Dollars, Silver 10 Dollars and 1 Dollar (Proof & Proof with applied Colour) coin issued on 27.09.2017 by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand & minted by BH Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH:

Little Spotted Kiwi:


The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has released several coins in the past featuring various breeds of the Kiwi bird since 2012, which is an internationally recognised symbol of the country.

Its latest set of coins released on 27.09.2017  highlight the Little Spotted Kiwi. For the first time, a 5 Oz silver coin has been added to the range of coins, with a face value of $10, in addition to the regular issues.

The Reverse of a Little Spotted Kiwi Silver One Dollar coin against two Little Spotted Kiwis feeding on the banks of the Rauterangi Channel, in the intensive conservation grounds

The Little Spotted Kiwi (or  "Little Gray Kiwi" or Apteryx owenii"):

The Little Spotted Kiwi was first described in 1847. It is a small species of Kiwi that occurred in both main islands of New Zealand. It has a length of about 35 to 45 centimetres (or 14 to 18 inches). The weight of the male can range from 0.9 to 1.3 kilograms (or 2.0 to 2.9 pounds), while the female can weigh from 1.0 to 1.9 kilograms (or 2.2 to 4.2 pounds). This is the smallest species of Kiwi and is about the size of a Bantam (small variety of poultry, say chicken, named after the city of Bantam in Indonesia, where it was mainly found).

This bird's feathers are a pale mottled grey, complemented with fine white mottling and the bird is somewhat shaggy looking. It lacks a tail, but has a small pygostyle (or a "fleshy protuberance") which is visible at the posterior.  Its bill is long and ivory in colour and the legs are pale.

The lesser known North Island Little Spotted Kiwi (or "A.o. iredalei") became extinct in the late 19th Century.

Conservation and Threats:

At a time when the species was abundant on the Western side of the South Island and in Marlborough, there was a regular trade in Little Spotted Kiwi skins and a large number of birds were killed and stuffed for exhibiting for European Museums, leading to a sharp decline in its numbers.

In addition, with the build-up of European Settlements, these birds were killed by prospectors and others for food and sport .

Predation by dogs and cats and stoats also contributed to a decline in this species population.

As a consequence, around 1900, a population of the little spotted Kiwi was trans-located to Kapiti Island for conservation purposes. Presently, their conservation status is listed as "Range Restricted"(RR) by the Conservation Organisation "Save the Kiwi", though their population is growing and is estimated to be close to 2,000 individuals.

It was formerly listed as "Vulnerable" (VU) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources (IUCN), but its population has somewhat stabilised/grown due to the massive conservation efforts. As a result, it was moved down to the "Near Threatened" (NT) status in 2008 by the IUCN.

The Commemorative coins issued by Reserve Bank of New Zealand:

These new 2018 dated coins have been minted by BH Mayer Kunstprageanstalt GmbH, on behalf of Reserve Bank of New Zealand and designed by Jonathan Gray.
On the Reverse of the Gold Ten NZ Dollar Coin is seen the Little Spotted Kiwi foraging for food with the silhouette of Kapiti Island in the background. 2D and 3D relief gives the coin depth and detail, right down to the mottled pattern of the Kiwi's feathers. 


The Obverse of the Gold 10 NZ Dollar shows an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. This design has been made by Ian Rank-Broadley, whose initials "IRB" appear below the Queen's neck. The peripheral inscriptions are "NEW ZEALAND, .9999 Au, .25 oz, ELIZABETH II, 2018".

The specifications of this coin are:

Denominational value: 10 New Zealand Dollars; Coin Quality: Proof; Metallic Composition: 0.9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 1/4 Oz or .25 Oz or 7.77 grams; Diameter/Size: 26.0 mm; Edge: Milled; Shape: Round; Designer: Jonathan Gray; Mintage: 500 pieces; Mint: BH Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH; Year of issue: 2017.
Remarks: Each coin comes with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity, that tells the story of this bird. The coin is packaged in a premium display case.
On the Reverse of the Silver Ten NZ Dollar Coin is seen the Little Spotted Kiwi foraging for food with the silhouette of Kapiti Island in the background. This 5 Oz Silver features use a variety of polishing techniques, as well as, a combination of 2d and 3D relief to give depth and texture to the image.
The Obverse of the Silver 10 NZ Dollar shows an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. This design has been made by Ian Rank-Broadley, whose initials "IRB" appear below the Queen's neck. The peripheral inscriptions are "NEW ZEALAND, .999 Ag, 5 oz, ELIZABETH II, 2018".

The specifications of this coin are:

Denominational value: 10 New Zealand Dollars; Coin Quality: Proof; Metallic Composition: 0.999 Silver (Ag); Weight: 5.0 Oz or 31.1 grams; Diameter/Size: 65.0 mm; Edge: Milled; Shape: Round; Designer: Jonathan Gray; Mintage: 500 pieces; Mint: BH Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH; Year of issue: 2017.

Remarks: The Kiwi seems to come to life, as the larger image shows greater detail. Each coin comes with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity  that tells the story of this bird. The coin is packaged in a display case.
On the Reverse of the Silver One NZ Dollar Coin is seen the Little Spotted Kiwi foraging for food with the silhouette of Kapiti Island in the background. This 1 Oz Silver features use a variety of polishing techniques, as well as, a combination of 2d and 3D relief to give depth and texture to the image.

The Obverse of the Silver One NZ Dollar shows an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. This design has been made by Ian Rank-Broadley, whose initials "IRB" appear below the Queen's neck. The peripheral inscriptions are "NEW ZEALAND, .999 Ag, 1 oz, ELIZABETH II, 2018".

The specifications of this coin are:

Denominational value: 1 New Zealand Dollars; Coin Quality: Reverse Proof; Metallic Composition: 0.999 Silver (Ag); Weight: 31.1grams or 1.0 Oz; Diameter/Size: 40.0 mm; Edge: Milled; Shape: Round; Designer: Jonathan Gray; Mintage: 7,500 pieces; Mint: BH Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH; Year of issue: 2017.

Remarks: The Kiwi seems to come to life, as the larger image shows greater detail. Each coin comes with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity  that tells the story of this bird. The coin is packaged in a display case.

On the Reverse of the Silver One NZ Dollar Coin is seen the Little spotted Kiwi foraging for food with the silhouette of Kapiti Island in the background. 

This 1 Oz Silver coin has a printed image of the Little Spotted Kiwi and uses a variety of polishing techniques, as well as, a combination of 2d and 3D relief to give depth and texture to the image.
This adds an extra element of depth to this carefully crafted coin. The other polishing techniques give details and depth to the plants, ocean and silhouette of Kapiti Island.
The Obverse of the Silver One NZ Dollar shows an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. This design has been made by Ian Rank-Broadley, whose initials "IRB" appear below the Queen's neck. The peripheral inscriptions are "NEW ZEALAND, .999 Ag, 1 oz, ELIZABETH II, 2018".

The specifications of this coin are:

Denominational value: 1 New Zealand Dollars; Coin Quality: Proof (with Applied Colour); Metallic Composition: 0.999 Silver (Ag); Weight: 31.1 grams or 1 Oz; Diameter/Size: 40.0 mm; Edge: Milled; Shape: Round; Designer: Jonathan Gray; Mintage: 2,500 pieces; Mint: BH Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH; Year of issue: 2017.

Remarks: The Kiwi seems to come to life, as the larger image shows greater detail. Each coin comes with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity  that tells the story of this bird. The coin is packaged in a display case.











Links to Posts on Australia, New Zealand and countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific on this blog:1) Bank of Papua New Guinea: 36th Anniversary Celebrations (1973-2008): A Commemorative Uncirculated Coin Set consisting of a 2 Kina Banknote & a 2 Kina Coin

2) Papua New Guinea: An uncirculated coin set brought out in 1995 commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Independence 

 3) Currency & Coinage of the Solomon Islands: Dollars and Cents

4) New Zealand: New Banknote "Seventh Series" issued under Project "Brighter Money" from 2015 onwards

5) Coinage of the French Polynesian Island of Caledonia (or Nouvelle Caledonie) the CFP Franc  

6) French Institution for issuing uniform currency/coinage for French Overseas Territories in the Pacific and the French Southern Territories of Antarctica: The Institut d'emmission d'outre Mer (IEOM)

7) Currency & Coinage of Samoa: Tala and Sene 

8) Currency of the South Pacific Island Country of Fiji 

9) Coinage of New Zealand: A commemorative coin set issued in 1979 

10) Currency and Coinage of Australia: Dollars and Cents 

11) The Australian Emblem or the Coat of Arms 

12) The story of the Australian Penny 

13) The Legend of the Mutiny on the Bounty: A Commemorative Coin Set from the Pitcairn Islands depicting relics from the Bounty issued in 2009 

14) An Australian $5 coin issued in 1996, commemorating Australia's greatest cricketing legend - Sir Donald Bradman 

15) New Series/Generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced from 01.09.2016 onwards starting from $5 issues 

16) Southern Lights: A $1 Silver holographic coin issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in January 2017

17) Currency & coinage of the Kingdom of Tonga : Pa'anga & Seniti 

18) Postage Stamps & Coin: Commemorating the Centenary of the Trans-Australian Railway Line stamps issued by Australia Post & coins by Perth Mint on 04.07.2017


Links to interesting posts on coins from Tuvalu Islands

1)Famous Pirates of the Caribbean :2) Edward Teach or "BlackBeard"

2)Famous Pirates of the Caribbean: 3)Bartholomew Roberts or Black Bart Roberts 
  
 3)Famous Pirates of the Caribbean:4)Jack Rackham 

4)Famous-pirates-of- the Caribbean : 5) Henry Avery 

5)Famous Pirates of the Caribbean : 6) Sir Henry Morgan

6)Norse Goddess Freya - a Silver 2 Dollars High Relief antiquated Coin , the first in the Series titled "Norse Goddesses" (2017) 

Other interesting links to posts from Cook Islands minted by Coin Invest Trust:

1) Brexit : Britain's exit from the EEC : Coins issued by the Cook islands in the denomination of $1, $5 and $ 20 in 2016 

2) 150th Anniversary of "The Great Tea Race - 1866": Commemorative Coins in the denomination of 10 and 2 Dollars issued by Cook Islands in 2016

3) The Mystical Ancient Egyptian Labyrinth depicted on $10 Silver coins issued by Cook islands in 2016, under its "Milestones of Mankind Series".

4) King Arthur: The first coin in the six coins "Camelot Series".

5) Quilling Art: Silver 2 Dollars coins issued - Flowers (2016) & Bird (2017) 


6) Queen Guinevere: The second coin in the six coin "Camelot Series". 

Links to posts on issues from the Republic of Palau:


5) Republic of Palau issues "Sand Dollars": Silver & Gold 1$ coins

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