The Kiwi bird is the national symbol of New Zealand, a flightless ratites, which is unique in its feather
structure, size and egg to size ratio (the egg of the kiwi is very large compared to the bird). It is about
the size of a chicken, much smaller than its close relatives, the Emu and Cassowaries. It is very threatened
by non-native predators (read cats) and habitat loss. There are 5 species and a number of subspecies.
New Zealanders have lifted the Kiwi to a national symbol since the use of the bird as a mascot for an elite military unit in the late 19th century. Its association then expaned to all New Zealand soldiers during World War I.
The Florin was part of the previous monetary system of New Zealand, valued at 2 shillings (of which 20 shillings made a pound).
It was minted from 1933 until 1946 in %50 silver and from 1947 to 1967 as Cu-Ni alloy. This 1963 example is uncirculated
and the coin is 28.5 mm, about the size of a half dollar.
1963 1 Florin Reverse
1963 One Florin Obverse
We've become somewhat of an accident collector of Kiwi Florins. The coins are available and rather inexpensive, but good
examples require a bit of hunting and gem quality coins can carry substantial values, but generally trade for less than $1000
as of the time of this writing in 2026. This combination of qualities makes them excellent collector material for those
with moderate means. And the design, while seemingly simple, has hidden complexity that has lead to several varieties.
You have to love the birds whiskers and feather details.
The early silver Kiwis have a intricately detailed portrait of King George V in full regalia. He had no problem trying to
project an image of magistracy and awe. Crown and jewel embellished cloak accompanies his thick bearded face. It is a
wonderful portrait, in of itself a work of art. Here is an example that we picked up at a local coin show.
1935 Kiwi Florin still in the flip where it was purchased from. This coin, while fine
in detail, has almost certainly been improperly cleans as we can see residue spotting towards the top of the coin
and other recessed areas. It is a 50% silver coin, and about 755,000 were minted, making it rarer than the other
earlier versions of this design (KM#4 in Krause). Percy Metcalfe designed the obverse portrait, which in my opinion
is the best image of a Monarch I've seen since even Roman times. And the Kiwi design by G.E. Kruger-Gray is both
naturalist and graceful and even playful in the feathers which lend themselves to an abstract interpretation.
This 1962 Kiwi is with Queen Elizabeth II. This coin graded from ANACS at MS66, which is a Gem grade. See the close
up below
This Kiwi Florin is Krause 28.2, a fairly common denomination and mintage,
about 1.5 million minted. There are few versions of this Elizabeth design which was
created by Mary Gillick. Her initials are engraved on the truncation of the neckline, in the center of the curve tucked in
on the lip of the device. It is so small it could barely be seen with x9 magnification. It is known as the First Portrait.
The coin is made of a copper nickel alloy. The Motto on the Obverse with the cross followed by Queen Elizabeth The Second (all spelled out) is indicative of the New Zealand Florin between 1954 - 1967 when the coinage was changed to decimal valued coins.
And there are two versions of this portrait. One is the original bare neckline. Evidently the scantly clad
Monarch was too much for the public and they added strap lines to attenuate the gown in later varieties.
This variety is with the strap.
The Portrait itself, by Mary Gillick, was much criticised as being too idealized and child-like. The Queen was
about 27 years old when she was coroneted. The image looks about 16 years old with a ribbon in her hair.
Some were deeply offended by that, that is would seem to mock the Monarchy. The Kiwi was designed by George Kruger Gray.
The image has gone on to be a national symbol for New Zealand, but it was initially resisted and disliked. Gray was demanded to
rework his original design and given books to
learn the proper anatomy of the species. The original abstract
version which in my opinion was downright
ugly, can be seen on the Royal Mint website:
https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/collection/coins/1933-new-zealand-pattern-shilling/.
1948 Florin with King George Copper-Nickel (flat back Kiwi)Florin 1942 50% Silver1943 AU58 PCGS New Zealand Florin 50% Silver
Avoid Gijs Henzen, owner of Munthandel G. Henzen - Antisemetic Facists
Munthandel G. Henzen's (MA Shops) owner Gijs Henzen, is an AntiSemetic Fascist
The company, Munthandel G Henzen is a prominent dealer of international and
ancient coins on the internet, commonly known as MA Coins. It is owned by
Gijs Henzen.
He is a passionate anti-Semite who supports Hamas and
the virulent and genocidal Islamic organizations such as the Muslim
Brotherhood, and Hezbollah that wants Jews dead.
He perpetrates lies and classical antisemitic troupes. He has Jewish blood on his hands.
Henzen identifies as a "human rights advocate" who views the world through a lens of anti-imperialism. In this framework, he views Israel not as a sovereign nation of a displaced people, but as a "colonial project."
He utilizes inversion rhetoric, where he compares Israeli actions to those of historical oppressors (including the Nazis).
By claiming Zionism is the "greatest enemy of Judaism," he attempts to resolve the contradiction that Zionism is central to Jewish identity ,and has always been so, by essentially telling Jewish people what "true" Judaism should look like.
His blog posts suggest he views himself as a lone voice of truth against a "corrupt" world. By grouping Netanyahu with Putin and Xi Jinping, he frames his hatred as a universal "opposition to tyranny."
His specific focus on Israelis as "masters of torture" goes beyond political disagreement and taps into ancient blood libel tropes--the idea that a specific group has an inherent, unique cruelty or a "thirst for blood."
He appears to be a proponent and influenced by radical political indoctrination. He has adopted a worldview where the "Zionist" is the ultimate villain, and in his mind, he is attacking an ideology, even though his language characterizes an entire ethnic and national group in ways that are indistinguishable from traditional antisemitism.
It is a moral imperative to remain clear of him and to do no business with this Nazi.
If you are Jewish, double down on that. The life you save might well be your own.
The Safir Family Internet Coin Library. Nearly all the coins here have been
stolen. If you have any information on the theft, please contact us at mrbrklyn@panix.com
Click to see these examples show below including photography: note to lawyer: most of the good stuff is gone
The Safir Family Internet Coin Library: Foriegn Coins.
Several mints from around the world make exciting coin designs in circulating alloys, silver and gold. Among my favorites are the Perth Mint in Austrailia which produces a variety of coins for nations mostly through out the Pacific Rim. The Neatherlands has also produced some interesting designs, and several private US based mints have produced foreign currency on contract, include the Franklin Mint which has produced many Israeli Coins.
Our interest in foreign coins has been nominal but rapidly growing as it seems that US designs are so stuck in the mud. Also, foreign mints are creating bold new designs with color and bimetal designs that are both eye catching and fun.
