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Sunday, 24 February 2019

933) Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse, New Zealand: A Silver One Dollar Commemorative Coin honours the oldest and still functioning Lighthouse in New Zealand, near Auckland:

933) Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse, New Zealand: A Silver One Dollar Commemorative Coin honours the oldest and still functioning Lighthouse in New Zealand, near Auckland:

For a brief report of our visit to the Quilon Lighthouse (present Day Thangasseri Light House, please visit the following link: Road Trip to Kerala: (Part II) Quilon Lighthouse (present Day Thangasseri Lighthouse):


The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has issued a Silver One Dollar ($1) coin, which depicts one of the nation's oldest and still functioning lighthouses - the "Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse".

About the Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse:

Tiritiri Matangi Island is located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand about 3.4 kilometres (or 2.1 miles) East of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the North Island and about 30 kilometres (or 19.0 miles) North-east of Auckland. The island is an open Nature Reserve and is popular for its bird-life which includes the rare Takahe (or North Island Saddleback), North Island Kokako and the Kiwi,  among 87 other species of birds.

"Tiritiri Matangi" in Maori means "tossed by the wind". Maori mythology believes that the island is a float of an ancestral fishing net.

The first people to settle on the  island were Maori of the "Kawerau iwi". Later, settlers from the "Ngati Paoa" moved to the island, like the Kawerau partly for shark fishing until 1700, when the Kawerau regained control and settled in the island, until in 1821, they were forced to retreat to Waikato, when "Hongi Hika" attacked them from the North.

In the early 19th Century, European settlers (or "Pakeha") arrived and purchased portions of the Island.



In 1864, a lighthouse was constructed from cast iron  near the Southern end which is still in operation - present day. The height of the Lighthouse stands at 20 metres (or 65.0 feet) and it is built on a cliff that is 91 metres (or 299 feet) above the shore.

On 01.01.1865,  the lighthouse was first lit.

In 1925, the lighthouse was first automated and used an acetylene burning revolving light.  

In 1947, keepers returned to the lighthouse, which remained manned until 1984 when the light became fully automated, being powered by solar electricity.

The light's last keeper remained on the island until his retirement in 2006.

The lighthouse lights still guide ships into the "City of Sails", Auckland.

The lighthouse is the oldest existing and operating lighthouse in all of New Zealand and is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand. It is one of the best preserved lighthouse complex in the country.

In 1956, a xenon light source was fitted to the lighthouse, creating the most powerful light-beam achieved at that time by a New Zealand lighthouse and the most powerful lighthouse in the Southen Hemisphere. It had an output of 11 million candle-power and a range of 58 nautical miles, making it one of the most powerful lights in the world, considering that most lights shone for 27 nautical miles, on an average. 

The present range of Lighthouse light installed at the Tiritiri Lighthouse, is about 18 nautical miles (or about 33 kilometres).

The Commemorative Coin:

The Reverse of the Silver One Dollar Coin shows the Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse guiding a sailboat towards Auckland Harbour. Its light beam integrates an ultra-violet ink application, visible only under black light. 

The ocean background is made from original koru-like motifs to connect the coin distinctly to New Zealand and symbolise the churning sea.

The peripheral inscriptions are - "TIRITIRI MATANGI - NEW ZEALAND'S OLDEST OPERATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE - ONE DOLLAR".
The Obverse of the Silver One Dollar Coin shows an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed 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, 2019"

The specifications of this coin are -

Denomination: 1 Dollar; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 31.1 grams or 1 Oz; Coin Quality: Proof with applied colour; Maximum Mintage: 1,500 pieces; Minted by: Royal Dutch Mint at their facilities in Utrecht on behalf of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand; Designer: Hannah Fortune; Year: 2019.
The Silver Coin is encapsulated and housed in a custom presentation case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA). 

As part of the motif on the Reverse, the blue light beam is made of ultra-violet (UV) ink that glows under a black light. Together with the specially designed presentation case that includes a UV light embedded in the lid of the coin box, the light beam shines brightly over its harbour setting and illuminates a yacht from the nearby "City of Sails", Auckland. 

The overall effect is that by day, the blue light is hidden and the lighthouse appears in a solid silver coin and in the dark, with the UV light embedded in the coin box, the light beam shines brightly as if the Tiritiri Matangi has broken from its frame and is reaching out to the observer.




Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific on this Blog:



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


20) The Earth and Beyond Coin Series issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): First coin in the series - The Earth - issued on 03.04.2018


21) Wedge Tailed Eagle Coin Series: 200 Dollars Gold, 100 Dollars Gold & 1 Dollar Silver coins brought out by the Perth Mint, Australia in its on-going series started in 2014 in collaboration with John Mercanti, Chief Engraver of the US Mint: Coins issued in 2018


22) Australian Kangaroo Coin Series: 25th Anniversary Commemoration: A $100 Gold Coin and a $10 Silver Coin with selective gold plating issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM) in 2018


23) "Kangaroo at Sunset": The Royal Australian Mint (RAM) is phasing out this iconic $25 Gold Coin from its repertoire of Commemorative Coins in 2018


24) "Discovery": An exclusive one piece - 2 Kilo Gold Coin studded with four Argyle Pink Diamonds/Gemstones minted by the Perth Mint, Australia in co-ordination with the Argyle Pink Diamonds Mine on 04.09.2018


25) "The Moon": The Earth and Beyond three Silver Coin Series: Royal Australian Mint issues the second coin in the series - a silver coloured Five (AUD) Dollars Concave-shaped (Domed) Coin on 03.09.2018


26) New $10 Australian Banknote issued on 18.09.2017 under the "Fourth Series of Banknotes": New generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced in a phased manner from 09/2016 onwards by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)

27) New Australian 50 Dollar Banknote (AUD $50) issued in 10/2018, under the "Fourth Series of Banknotes": New Generation of Australian Banknotes introduced in a phased manner from 09/2016 onwards by Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)

28) "Lake Argyle" - "The Jewel of the Kimberley", Australia: Limited Edition Series of Rare diamond ingots in Pink Gold (10 Oz. & 1 Oz.) and Platinum (1 Oz.) studded with eight Argyle Pink Diamonds each issued by the Perth Mint, Australia in collaboration with the Argyle Pink Diamond Mine (2018)


29) "The Sun": The Earth and Beyond Coin Series": Royal australian Mint (RAM) issues the third and final coin in the three-coin Series, a Silver Coloured Five (AUD) Dollars Concave-shaped (Domed) Coin on 03.02.2019

Links to interesting Posts on coins from Tuvalu Islands:
Links to posts on issues from the Republic of Palau:



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