Tamanuiterā (the Sun) and Marama (the Moon) together with Ngā Whetū Matariki (the Pleiades star cluster) make up the family of heavenly bodies known as te Whānau Mārama (the Family of Light).
Knowledge of the relationship between Ngā Whetū Matariki, Tamanuiterā and Marama has been handed down over time through wānanga (schools of learning) and pūrakau (folk stories) of Māori, the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand. Knowledge of the rising and positioning of Tamanuiterā and the phases of the Marama, together with the positioning and movement of ngā Whetū is known as Tātai Arorangi and was retained by tohunga kokorangi and tohunga tātai arorangi (astromonical experts).
Designed by Dave Burke (Kupe the Great Navigator, Ngā Hau e Whā/The Four Winds) the two coins in this issue represent the Sun and Moon respectively, with detailed illustrations personifying these heavenly bodies.
The bright face of Mārama (the Moon) and its lunar phases (Maramataka) help Māori to interact with the stars of Matariki. Tamanuiterā (the Sun) has two wives, Hine raumati (summer) and Hinetakurua (winter). The pathway that Tamanuiterā follows in summer is different to that which he traces during winter. This means the Matariki star cluster is positioned differently each season.
The set is issued by NZ Post, the official issuer of New Zealand stamps and commemorative coins; the coins themselves were struck by BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH. | 
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