| Coin | One Dollar 2016 (proof only) |
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The New Zealand one-dollar coin ($1) is a circulating denomination of the New Zealand dollar. It was introduced as a coin on 11 February 1991 (with coins dated 1990) to replace the existing $1 note. There had previously been occasional issues of commemorative crown-sized dollars, but these were not meant for circulation.
The depiction of a kiwi on the reverse helps give the New Zealand dollar the colloquial name "Kiwi (dollar)", although the term was in use even before the $1 coin was introduced. The reverse design by New Zealand artist Robert Maurice Conly has not changed since the introduction of the denomination.
One Dollar coins were not issued for circulation in 2016. Some were struck for the proof sets of the year only. No uncirculated sets were issued. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.
In small letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).
Around the effigy is the monarch's legend and the date: NEW ZEALAND ELIZABETH II 2016.
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse of the coin depicts two symbols of New Zealand: a kiwi facing left in the centre, surrounded by four fronds of the silver fern (Cyathea dealbata). Both the kiwi and the silver ferns sit above the legend reading the denomination ONE DOLLAR.
Kiwi are a significant national icon, equally cherished by all cultures in New Zealand. Kiwi are a symbol for the uniqueness of New Zealand wildlife. They are most commonly forest dwellers, making daytime dens and nests in burrows, hollow logs or under dense vegetation. Kiwi are the only bird to have nostrils at the end of their very long bill. Their nostrils are used to probe in the ground, sniffing out invertebrates to eat, along with some fallen fruit. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
ONE DOLLAR |
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| Edge | Milled (interrupted, in eight sections) | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | The proof coins are 8.60g (heavier than the circulation coins), and are made of brass. |
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