The New Zealand plate size pattern

[Chris Perkins 228]

I know it really belongs in the foreign section but New Zealand does share our Queen and in this case also our designer, who has been mentioned elsewhere recently.

From the collection of the late William Gardner (he did the EII shillings, portcullis 3d, 1982-2008 20p and many other commonwealth coins by the way) comes this large electrotype NZ Dollar. This design was used on the first NZ dollar for decimalisation in 1967.

Size: 18cm

Weight: 362g

Any thoughts on exactly what this is? In the first image it is shown next to an actual 1967 Dollar.

[azda 979]

Just a little off your topic Chris, but how far off is CCGB 2011?

[TomGoodheart 402]

Curious. I've had a look (as no doubt you have) at a couple of sites about coin design and production and there's nothing quite like it! It seems a lot to go to to produce a souvenir for the engraver, who after all could just keep the plaster original. The master from which reduction takes place to make the master die is made out of resin, so it's not one of those.

So my best guess is that it was produced to show people what the final design would look like, perhaps for a press announcement or publicity photographs?