New Zealand twenty-cent coin
| New Zealand | |
| Value | 0.20 New Zealand dollars |
|---|---|
| Mass | 4.00 g |
| Diameter | 21.75 mm |
| Thickness | 1.56 mm |
| Edge | "Spanish flower" |
| Composition | Nickel-plated steel |
| Years of minting | 2006 - present |
| Catalog number | - |
| Obverse | |
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| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Design date | 1999 |
| Reverse | |
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| Design | Māori carving of Pukaki, a chief of the Ngāti Whakaue iwi |
| Designer | Robert Maurice Conly |
| Design date | 1990 |
The New Zealand twenty-cent coin is the second lowest denomination coin of the New Zealand dollar. The 20 cent coin was introduced when the New Zealand dollar was introduced on 10 July 1967, replacing the New Zealand florin coin. Its original reverse of a kiwi was changed in 1990 when the image was moved onto the one dollar coin. In 2006 its size was reduced and its edge altered to a Spanish flower as part of a revision of New Zealand's coins, which also saw its alloy become nickel-plated steel.
On 10 July 1967, New Zealand's former pre-decimal pound currency, pegged to the British pound, was changed to a decimal dollar at a rate of two dollars to a pound. Therefore, 20 cents was worth a tenth of a pound. The 20 cent coin replaced the florin coin which had been worth two shillings, or a tenth of a pound.
Like the florin, the new 20 cent coin was made of cupronickel, 28.58 mm in diameter, 11.31 grams in weight, and had 100% edge milling. The 20 cent coin retained the presence of a kiwi on the reverse of the florin, albeit in a different design.
The original obverses of 20 cent coins depicted Arnold Machin's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1986 the portrait was changed to the one by Raphael Maklouf, which had been introduced to the coins of the pound sterling in the previous year. Mintings of this coin from 1990 are rare.
In 1990, the new $1 and $2 coins were released to replace the $1 and $2 notes. As the $1 depicted a kiwi also, the 20 cent's reverse had to be redesigned. The new reverse side featured the well-known Māori carving depicting Pukaki, a chief of the Ngāti Whakaue iwi (tribe) of Te Arawa. In 1999, the portrait of the Queen was changed to a version by Ian Rank-Broadley which had been introduced to the coins of the pound sterling in the previous year. No 20 cent coins were minted between 1991 and 2001.
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