1952 NEW ZEALAND SHILLING – GEORGE VI
£20.00
A 1952 New Zealand Shilling struck in .500 silver, featuring the bare‑headed portrait of King George VI with the legend KING GEORGE THE SIXTH, and the Māori warrior reverse. A popular late pre‑decimal Commonwealth silver issue.
1 in stock
The 1952 New Zealand Shilling is part of the final phase of New Zealand’s pre‑decimal silver coinage issued under King George VI. Struck in .500 silver, it features the distinctive Māori warrior reverse, one of the most culturally significant designs in New Zealand’s early Commonwealth series.
Obverse
Bare‑headed portrait of King George VI facing left, with the New Zealand‑specific legend: KING GEORGE THE SIXTH This portrait was used on New Zealand’s silver coinage from 1940 through 1952.
Reverse
A Māori warrior (Piki‑tiki) kneeling right, holding a taiaha, framed by traditional Māori motifs. Denomination ONE SHILLING above, date 1952 below. Designed by George Kruger Gray, whose work appears across many Commonwealth coinages.
Historical Notes
- Final year of George VI shillings before the portrait changed to Elizabeth II in 1953.
- Part of New Zealand’s last circulating .500 silver issues.
- Highly collectable due to its strong cultural symbolism and late‑period silver content.
Specifications
- Country: New Zealand
- Denomination: Shilling
- Year: 1952
- Monarch: George VI
- Metal: .500 Silver
- Weight: 5.65 g
- Diameter: 23.5 mm
- Edge: Reeded
- Obverse: Bare head of King George VI left
- Obverse Legend: KING GEORGE THE SIXTH
- Reverse: Māori warrior kneeling right (Kruger Gray)
- Mintage: 2,000,000 (rounded)
- Classification: Pre‑decimal Commonwealth silver
SEO Tags:
New Zealand, Shilling, 1952, George VI, KING GEORGE THE SIXTH, Māori warrior, Kruger Gray, Pre‑decimal silver, Commonwealth coinage, NZ coins, Numismatics
