New Zealand: New Gold And Silver Proof Coins Feature Mythical And Fearsome Taniwha

The world of the Māori or, te ao Māori has many traditional stories passed down over many generations which references supernatural entities and beings which dwell in the spiritual realm - te ao wairua. The Taniwha, pronounced as Tani-fa feature prominently as powerful entities that can have both a positive and negative influence on people and environments. Although they are often depicted as fearsome in appearance, they can appear in many different forms. As guardians, most taniwha have associations with tribal groups, as in each group may have a taniwha of its own. When accorded appropriate respect, taniwha usually acted well towards their people, as guardians by warning of the approach of enemies. According to mythological tales, these large supernatural beings are said to live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers or giant waves.

The word taniwha in the Maori language which is similar to Tongan and Niuean translates to shark species or, a large dangerous shark, as does the Samoan and Tokelauan word tanifa which referenced a sea-monster that eats people. At sea, a taniwha can be depicted as a whale or a large shark such as southern right whale or whale shark hence, the Māori name for the great white shark which is mangō-taniwha. In inland waters, they may still be of whale-like dimensions, but look more like a gecko or a tuatara which is a lizard species native only to New Zealand and with a row of spines along its back.

Produced by the BH Mayer’s Mint at their facilities in Munich on behalf of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and is designed by graphic artist Dave Burke of Tauranga. The reverse side features a vivid colour illustration (silver proof only) of the mighty cave taniwha which is centred. Surrounding the primary design is an engraved and relief pattern which corresponds to and complements the colour design. The text shown above the design reads TANIWHA · ONE DOLLAR (silver) or TANIWHA · TEN DOLLARS (gold). The obverse features the effigy of HM King Charles III created by Stephen J Fuller. Encircling the effigy is the legend CHARLES III 2024 NEW ZEALAND. Below the King’s likeness is the year of release, 2024 and the specifications of the coin .9999 Au 1 oz. or .999 Ag 1 oz.

Each silver proof quality coin is encapsulated and presented in a black matte custom case, the gold coin is presented in a hardwood custom case with both versions accompanied with a numbered certificate of authenticity. For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of New Zealand Post, official distributors on behalf of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.