The New Zealand one-cent coin (minted 1967-1987, demonetised 1990), was the smallest denomination coin of the
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar (; currency sign, sign: $; ISO 4217, code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New Zeal ...
from the currency's introduction in 1967 to its
demonetisation, along with the
two-cent coin, on 30 April 1990.
With a diameter of 17.53
millimetres
330px, Different lengths as in respect of the electromagnetic spectrum, measured by the metre and its derived scales. The microwave is between 1 metre to 1 millimetre.
The millimetre (American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, i ...
, it is the smallest coin ever issued of the dollar, and at 2.07
gram
The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a Physical unit, unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.
Originally defined in 1795 as "the absolute Mass versus weight, weight of a volume ...
s in mass the lightest as well. Its reverse featured a fern leaf, a sign of New Zealand. The image was designed by
Reginald George James Berry, who designed the reverses for all coins introduced that year.
History
Coins of the New Zealand dollar were introduced on 10 July 1967 to replace the pre-decimal
New Zealand pound. The dollar was pegged at two to a pound, thus 200 cents to the pound. New Zealand's one-penny coin was 1/240 of a pound.
The original obverse was
Arnold Machin
Arnold Machin OBE RA FRSS (; 30 September 1911 – 9 March 1999) was a British artist, sculptor, and coin and postage stamp designer.
Biography
Machin was born Stoke-on-Trent in 1911. He started work at the age of 14 as an apprentice china ...
's portrait of
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, and was used until 1985.
In 1986 the portrait was changed to the version by
Raphael Maklouf
Raphael David Maklouf (born 10 December 1937) is a British sculptor, best known for designing an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II used on the coins of many Commonwealth nations.
Maklouf was born in Jerusalem, to a Jewish family; his father was Sa ...
, introduced to the
coins of the pound sterling
The standard circulating coinage of the United Kingdom, British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories is denominated in pennies and pounds sterling ( symbol "£", commercial GBP), and ranges in value from one penny sterling t ...
in 1985. In 1988, the bronze one and two-cent coins had become too expensive to produce as
inflation
In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of curre ...
lowered the value of the dollar and their minting ceased. They remained legal tender until 30 April 1990.
Minting figures
According to the
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) () is the central bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1934 and is currently constituted under the ''Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 2021''. The current acting governor of the Reserve Bank, Christian ...
no one-cent coins were issued in 1968 or 1969 due to the large amount issued on their introduction in 1967, or in 1977. In years with no regular mintings, coins were still issued in mint sets.
*1967: 120,000,000
*1970: 10,100,000
*1971: 10,000,000
*1972: 10,000,000
*1973: 15,000,000
*1974: 35,000,000
*1975: 60,000,000
*1976: 20,000,000
*1978: 15,000,000
*1979: 35,000,000
*1980: 40,000,000
*1981: 10,000,000
*1982: 10,000,000
*1983: 40,000,000
*1984: 30,000,000
*1985: 40,000,000
*1986: 25,000,000
*1987: 27,500,000
*Total issued: 552,600,000
*Total value: $5,526,000.00
Counting proofs and coins in mint sets, a total of 553,466,065 (553 million) coins of the denomination were minted during its existence.
See also
*
Coins of the New Zealand dollar
References
{{New Zealand currency and coinage
C01
One-cent coin
One-cent coins
1990 disestablishments in New Zealand
1967 establishments in New Zealand