Silver Ounce 2023 Hairy Maclary, Coin from New Zealand - detailed information

New Zealand uses the New Zealand Dollar as its circulation currency for daily transactions. The country also issues a number of commemorative and collector coins, including in the internationally popular one ounce of silver format (abbreviated as 1 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum). Authorised by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the official issuer of these coins is NZ Post - which also issues the country's postal stamps. Manufacturing of the coins is commissioned to various foreign mints.

The coins are "Non-Circulating Legal Tender" (NCLT) and not bullion because they are issued at prices much higher than their intrinsic value and are targeted at collectors who appreciate them for their artistic or sentimental value, and not at bullion investors.

NZ Post says about this coin:
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy written and illustrated by Dame Lynley Dodd, this coin has been issued to commemorate the legacy of the beloved children’s book series.

Hairy Maclary literally fell out of Lynley Dodd’s scrapbook. She recalls how, when looking for a new idea, a tiny sketch of a dog, drawn years earlier on a slip of notepaper, dropped out from between the pages.

With just a few strokes of her pen Lynley’s extraordinary ability to convey character, expression and movement brought Hairy Maclary to life.

Personally approved by author and illustrator Dame Lynley Dodd, this coin features the hero of the story surrounded by the iconic opening lines of the book. Hairy Maclary’s paw overlaps with the inner rim, creating the illusion that he is stepping out of the coin.