The Reserve Bank of New Zealand have issued a New Zealand Royal Baby Silver Proof Coin, limited edition 1 oz silver proof coin with selective gold plating to mark the Royal birth of HRH Prince George, first-born child to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge who was born on the 22nd July in London.
Only 1,500 pieces of the 1 troy oz 0.999 silver coin will be minted for worldwide distribution.
The intricate design features the Princely Coronet in gold plating. The Princely Coronet is a type of crown that's assigned to the children of Heir Apparent (Prince of Wales), which includes Prince George's father, the Duke of Cambridge. The detailed design also features stylised koru – a pattern used in Māori and New Zealand art to symbolise new life.
“Prince George’s birth was a global event and there was huge excitement in New Zealand about his arrival, so it’s only fitting he gets his own stamp,” says New Zealand Post spokesman, Simon Allison.
“The minute news of the Prince’s birth came through, we put into action a plan we’d had in place and worked around the clock to get our commemorative stamp and coin issue finalised,” he said.
That process included getting approval for the images and designs from Prince George’s Great Granny – a.k.a. Her Majesty the Queen - along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
“The Queen and the Duke and Duchess have personally okayed the images and we’re glad they agree with our choice of stunning photos which show an immensely proud Royal mum and dad and the baby Prince,” said Simon Allison.
Technical specification:
Denomination: One New Zealand dollar
Finish: Proof
Composition: 0.999 silver with selective gold plating
Weight: 1 troy oz
Diameter: 40mm
Edge treatment: Milled
Shape: Round
Obverse design: Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley, United Kingdom
Reverse design: Gold plated Princely Coronet along with a stylised koru design and the date of birth of H.R.H. Prince George of Cambridge
Worldwide mintage limit: 1,500
Mint: BH Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH
The Royal Baby stamp and coin issue will be available from Wednesday 11 September 2013 at PostShops, REAL Aotearoa stores, and online for pre-orders now at www.nzpost.co.nz/royalbaby and www.nzcoins.co.nz. or by phoning 0800 782 677.
