New Zealand crown, 1935
Also known as: Waitangi crown
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1935
Issuing entity
New ZealandThe 1935 New Zealand crown, also known as the Waitangi crown, is a commemorative five-shilling silver coin struck by the British Royal Mint for the Dominion of New Zealand to mark the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The coin was produced in 50 percent silver with a diameter of 1.525 inches, a weight of 28.27 grams, and a milled rim. Designed by Percy Metcalfe, the coin pairs a crowned bust of King George V on the obverse with a reverse scene depicting Māori chief Tāmati Wāka Nene shaking hands with British representative Captain William Hobson beneath a royal crown.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 2
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The issue arose under the Coinage Act of 1933, which authorised an independent coinage for the New Zealand pound following economic disruption and coin shortages during the Great Depression. Allan Sutherland of the New Zealand Numismatic Society suggested a commemorative crown in late 1933, prompting the government to select the Treaty of Waitangi as the theme. Following the dismissal of earlier submissions by James Berry and George Kruger Gray, Royal Mint designer Percy Metcalfe modeled the reverse. After extensive design revisions requested by Finance Minister Gordon Coates regarding the figures' clothing and anatomy, production concluded in 1935 with a mintage of 1,128 pieces, including 468 proofs, distributed directly to collectors.
Identification
- Recognition pointers (from background sources)
- Obverse displays a crowned bust portrait of King George V designed by Percy Metcalfe. Reverse depicts Māori chief Wāka Nene in a knee-length piupiu holding a taiaha while shaking hands with William Hobson beneath a royal crown. Struck in 0.500 fine silver with a milled rim, measuring 1.525 inches in diameter and weighing 28.27 grams.
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
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- Weight
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- Mint or printer
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- Mint or printer mark
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- Catalogue reference
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- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Recorded mintage requires a Tier 1 source
- Proof and circulation strike distinctions need documentation