NEW SILVER COINS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5190, 12 October 1927, Page 1

NEW SILVER COINS.

A CHANGE SANCTIONED. It is understood that an Order-in-Council will shortly be made authorising the issue of an entirely new British silver coinage. Thisi will be the first important change in design to have been made for a century or more.

New designs have been made for each of the six silver coins' — threepenny piece, six pence, shilling,, florin, half-crown, and five shilling piece. They are to be substituted for the present designs on one side of coins only. The side bearing the King’s head will remain in eiach case unchanged. There will be no strikink difference between the new coinage and the old, for the new qrej still to carry armorial bearings, although they will be of unfamiliar character. The new designs are to be more artistic than the old, and are to be brought up to date. It has been decided to make a fresh issue of the five-shilling piece in spite of the fact that this coin has passed out of use. The issue will be small, however, and is to be made chiefly for the benefit of collectors.

The whole subject of a new silver coinage has been under consideration for several months past by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, of which Colonel. R. A. Johnson (Deputy Master of the Mint) is chairman. The new designs have been drawn up by Mr G. Krugejr Gray, the well-knoown Sculptor. They have been submitted to the King, and it is understood that he has approved of them. It will be necessary, however, for aft Order-in-Council to be issued the new coins can be minted,