New Zealand One Cent

The New Zealand one cent coin depicted a kiwi bird on its reverse, a nod to the country's flightless icon that somehow managed to outlast the coin itself in cultural relevance.

Issued from 1967 to 1990, it was struck in bronze at the Royal Mint in Wales, using a composition of 97% copper, 2.5% zinc, and 0.5% tin. Weighing just 2.83 grams and measuring 17.53 mm in diameter, it was the smallest in New Zealand's decimal lineup. Circulation peaked in the 1970s, with estimates suggesting millions entered everyday use before inflation rendered it obsolete.

Mintage figures vary by year, but records for the early 1980s are spotty, likely lost in administrative shuffles. Some specimens show die variations, like a rotated kiwi, which might amuse the eagle-eyed collector.

It's gone now, demonetized in 1990, but that hasn't stopped people from hoarding them as if they were gold. As if a kiwi could fly away with your savings.