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The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has released their first bullion-quality silver one-ounce coins which include an earlier motif released for 2020 featuring a now-extinct breed of penguin once abundant on the Chatham Islands.
Believed to have existed until Polynesians arrived in the Chathams about 450 years ago, the Chatham Islands crested penguin was among the largest of the crested penguins, with the biggest specimens being comparable in size to the royal penguin. Polynesians around 1450 A.D. settled the Chathams, and the Eudyptes warhami (its scientific name) was probably hunted to extinction within 150 to 200 years, along with many bird species and one species of sea lion. It was almost undoubtedly extinct before Europeans arrived at the Chathams.
The new coins are produced by the U.S.-based Sunshine Mint International Ltd on behalf of the Reserve Bank and are designed by New Zealand artist Dave Burke. Two Chatham Island crested penguins are imagined here with a stormy backdrop familiar to inhabitants of the Chatham Islands. An arc of koru designs encircles the birds. The obverse side of these coins includes an effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II created by British sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. The year of issue, 2020, is placed below the Queen’s likeness, and the weight of the coin is shown above.
| Denom. | Metal | Weight | Diameter | Quality | Maximum Mintage |
| One dollar | .999 Silver | 31.1 g | 40.4 mm | Bullion strike | 25,000 |
The coins are encapsulated and presented in a Reserve Bank of New Zealand-branded custom case, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The coin is also available in a colour-printed one-ounce format which was also included as part of the 2020-dated New Zealand Proof Currency Set, as well as a two-ounce standalone coin product. For additional information about this coin and others issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, please visit the website of the New Zealand Post.
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