Shilling 1955, Coin from New Zealand - detailed information

Laureate bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (the effigy by Mary Gillick known as the "First portrait"); the designer's initials, M.G., appear incuse on the base of the neck truncation. The monarch's legend QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND + runs continuously all around the bust.

A figure of a Maori warrior in warlike attitude crouching to left carrying a taiaha (traditional Maori weapon); around above, NEW ZEALAND; around below, the denomination and date ONE SHILLING 1955; at left above the ground line in small letters the artist's initials KG (for [George] Kruger Gray).

The Queen's effigy on the 1953 and 1955 coins has a small variation from the standard in that there are no shoulder straps visible. Older versions of the Krause catalogues list a proof variety with a shoulder strap, but current editions do not.