New Zealand’s currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD), also known as the “Kiwi” dollar. The coins currently in circulation include:
- 10 cents: This copper-plated steel coin features a Māori carved mask, or koruru, with Māori rafter patterns on the reverse.
- 20 cents: This nickel-plated steel coin displays a Māori carving of Pūkaki, a significant Te Arawa ancestor, between traditional koru kowhaiwhai patterns on the reverse.
- 50 cents: Made of plated steel, this coin features Captain Cook’s ship Endeavour sailing south with Mount Taranaki in the background on the reverse.
- $1: This aluminum bronze coin showcases two of New Zealand’s national symbols: the kiwi and the silver fern on the reverse. The Kiwi is a flightless bird native to Aotearoa, New Zealand, while the silver fern is a common tree fern.
- $2: This aluminum bronze coin features the kōtuku (white heron), a rare bird highly valued in Māori mythology, flying right on the reverse.
All New Zealand coins feature the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse (front) side. New coins featuring King Charles III will be introduced as existing stock is exhausted.
New Zealand also issues commemorative coins, such as the 50-cent coins released in 2015 and 2018 to mark the centenaries of the Gallipoli landings and Armistice Day respectively.
While these coins are legal tender, there are limitations on the amount you can pay with each denomination:
- 10c and 20c coins: Up to $5.
- 50c coins: Up to $10.
- $1 and $2 coins: Up to $100.
Businesses are not always required to accept cash as payment and may choose to only accept other forms of payment. However, if you are repaying a debt, businesses are obliged to accept cash.
What is the New Zealand coin currency?
The current denominations are ten cents, twenty cents, fifty cents, one dollar and two dollars. The $1 and $2 coins are minted in a gold colour, the 20c and 50c coins are silver colour and the 10c coin is plated in copper. Larger denominations of the New Zealand dollar are minted as banknotes of the New Zealand dollar.
Are any NZ coins worth money?
The 1935 New Zealand Crown commemorates the Treaty of Waitangi on 6th February 1840. It remains one of the most valuable NZ coins ever made. The highest Reserve Bank of New Zealand banknote denomination. It is equivalent in face value and colour to our modern-day One Hundred Dollars.
Does New Zealand still use coins?
Thanks for asking. The current New Zealand 10 cent, 20 cent, 50 cent, $1 and $2 coins are also legal tender. You can exchange old banknotes or coins that are no longer legal tender, or banknotes that are damaged or incomplete (have pieces missing) which can’t be used for payment with us.