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Saturday, 12 December 2020

1590) "Pohutukawa" ("Metrosideros excelsa"), New Zealand: The "New Zealand Christmas Tree" or the "New Zealand Christmas Bush and Iron Tree": Year of Coin issue: 2021:

1590) "Pohutukawa" ("Metrosideros excelsa"), New Zealand: The "New Zealand Christmas Tree" or the "New Zealand  Christmas Bush and Iron Tree": Year of Coin issue: 2021:

"Pohutukawa" ("Metrosideros excelsa"):

"Pohutukawa" (in Maori) or the New Zealand Christmas Tree or New Zealand Christmas Bush and Iron Tree is a coastal evergreen tree in the Myrtle family "Myrtaceae" that produces a brilliant display of red (or occasionally orange, yellow or white) flowers made up of a mass of stamens. It is endemic to New Zealand.

Renowned for its vibrant colour and its ability to survive even on rocky, precarious cliffs, it has found an important place in New Zealand culture for its strength and beauty.

It is regarded as a "Chiefly Tree" ("Rakua rangatira") by the Maori. The blossom of the tree is called "Kahika".

The "Pohutukawa" grows up to 25 mwtres (or 82 feet) in height with a spreading, dome-like form. It usually grows as a multi-trunked spreading tree. Its trunk and branches are sometimes festooned with matted, fibrous aerial roots.

"Pohutukawa" wood is dense, strong and highly figured. The Maori used it for beaters and other small, heavy items. It was frequently used in ship-building, since the naturally curvy shapes made strong knees.

The natural range of the "Pohutukawa" is the coastal regions of the North Island of New Zealand, North of a line stretching from New Plymouth to Gisborne, where it once formed a continuous coastal fringe. It also occurs naturally on the shores of lakes in the Rotorua area and in Abel Tasman National Park at the top of South Island.

By the 1990s, pastoral farming and introduced pests had reduced "Pohutukawa" forest by over 90%. 

As such, in New Zealand, the "Pohutukawa" is under threat from browsing by the introduced "Common Bush-tail Possum", which strips the tree of its leaves. Conservation groups are striving to reverse the trend and bring up the Tree population.

The Header/Banner shows the Reverse and Obverse of the One New Zealand Dollar (1 NZD) Silver Coin placed in the forground of a Pohotukawa Tree

The Commemorative Coin:

The Reverse and Obverse of the 1 NZD Silver Coin  placed together

On the Reverse of the One New Zealand Dollar (1 NZD) Silver Proof Coin with selective colour, this Commemorative Coin features an image of the "Pohutukawa" Tree in full bloom as it appears for a few weeks in summer.

An etched reflection below the tree image places it at the water's edge, where it is most abundant.

The background is polished and mirrored, and the tree is colour printed to highlight the stunning colour of its flowers.

The inscriptions are - "POHUTUKAWA" (on the upper periphery) and "ONE DOLLAR" (on the lower periphery).

On the Obverse of the One New Zealand Dollar (1 NZD) Silver Proof Coin with selective colour, is seen an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right.

The peripheral inscriptions are - "ELIZABETH II. 2021. NEW ZEALAND", .999 Ag 1 Oz".

The specifications of this Silver Coin are:

Denomination: One New Zealand Dollar (1 NZD); Coin Quality: Proof with selective /applied colour; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 1.0 Oz or 31.107 grams; Diameter/Size: 40.0 mm; Edge: Milled; Shape: Round; Designers: (Obverse) - Ian Rank-Broadley, United Kingdom, (Reverse) Nick Clarkson, Wellington, New Zealand; Minted By: Royal Dutch Mint; Mintage: 1,000 pieces; Year: 2021: Packaging: Yes, in an elegant Presentation Case; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes.


The Presentation Case together with the Certificate of Authenticity (COA).










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