COMMENTS BY MINT

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30975, 3 February 1966, Page 1

COMMENTS BY MINT

Royal Mint Advisory’ Committee comments on the original designs of New Zealand’s six decimal coins were released tonight by Mr Muldoon, according to the Press Association.

Mr Muldoon said the committee’s advice was as follows:

One cent—Southern Cross —No comment on this design Two cent—Flax bush with rising flower stem—The design would coin satisfactorily.

Five cent—Mountains rising from the sea with long white cloud representing Aotearoa —It would be extremely difficult to make the model in such a way that in coin size the various features. particularly the clouds, would be clearly identifiable as separate and quite different elements.

Ten cent—Maori mask with manaia (bird-like motifs) The committee thought the design could be improved by increasing the size of the words “One shilling” and lowering slightly the two small motifs.

Twenty cent —Club- Rugby; footballer with fern leaf motif— Technically the design could be regarded as coinable but a successful > development would depc id, on the model.er’s ability; when working in low relief to impart the vigour that j seems to be lacking in the; drawing.

Fifty cent—High country musterer on horseback with dogs and stylised sheep— The committee felt that too much was being attempted with the denominational value being lost in the foreground. Suggestions were made for improvements. The one cent coin was designed by Mr Milner Gray, of London, and the two cent by Mr Eric Fraser, of London. The design for the five cent coin was developed from a suggestion by the coinage design advisory committee. The remaining tnree designs were created by Mr Francis A. Shurrock, of Christchurch. Mr Muldoon confirmed that on all coins would be an image of the Queen on the obverse side. All would be of the same metal used for coins currently in circulation. Questioned about the words “One Shilling" on the ten cent coin, he explained this was the key coin in the series Provision had been made for it to be called one shilling, and the words had been pul on the coin to aid in the transition to decimal currency.

Asked about the apparent leakage of the designs, he said: “This clearly involves a breach of confidence by someone in a position of trust.”

Photographs of the designs had been prepared in time for immediate release once the coins were cleared by the mint.

It was believed a set of those photographs was the one used by the three newspapers today. “As far as I’m aware they (the photographs) were under adequate security,” said Mr Muldoon. “I’m not too much upset over this except that it is misleading the public to put in front of them designs that we know will not be the final designs. “I’m not upset,” he reiterated, “but it just wasn’t proper for the designs to be released.” Mr Muldoon said the designs, as submitted, were developed by the Coinage Design Advisory Committee, whose membership was: Professor H. J. Simpson, Ham School of Arts, Canterbury University; Mr S. B. McLennan, Director of the Dominion Art Gallery; Mr A. Sutherland. a former president of the Royal Numismatic Society; Dr. A. H. McLintock, Parliamentary historian; Mr E. J. Walker, chief accountant. National Bank of New Zealand. The committee chairman was Mr J. N. Searle, divisional director of the Treasury.