New Zealand Sixpence

The New Zealand sixpence, struck from 1933 to 1965, featured a design by George Kruger Gray depicting a Maori warrior on the reverse, linking a small coin to the nation's indigenous roots.

That warrior, based on traditional carvings, appeared alongside the reigning monarch's portrait on the obverse. Initially composed of 50% silver, the coin switched to cupro-nickel in 1947 due to wartime shortages, making earlier issues slightly more collectible but not rare. It served as everyday change, worth about a shilling in old money, and circulated widely across New Zealand for daily transactions.

Mintage figures vary by year, but records from the Royal Mint in London are spotty for some periods; exact numbers for, say, 1942 aren't reliable. I've turned a few over in my hands over the decades, and while myths persist about buried hoards, it's simply a practical piece of history.

Some call it undervalued today, much like that extra sixpence in your pocket back then—gone before you noticed.