New Zealand 1965 Proof Set

spraggdean23 · October 09, 2021, 11:04:11 PM

So looking through the New Zealand coins listed for sale on the Heritage Auction Site there is a 1965 Proof Set with a reported mintage of 10 sets. How do they make the distinction between these coins and the proof-like coins which came in the plastic packaging? If anyone has ever handled one of these rare sets I would like to know how the coins differ as I believe it would take an expert to tell them apart.

Triggersmob · October 10, 2021, 09:12:34 AM

Have a look at Princetane's thread about NZ predecimal coins over on CCF.
He talks about the 1965 proof like set on page 2. Maybe you can ask him that question.
https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=379889&whichpage=2

Mister T · August 26, 2023, 12:30:09 PM

Did you ever get to the bottom of this? I think there are a few coins like this from that era where it's not immediately obvious what you have.

spraggdean23 · August 27, 2023, 09:42:37 PM

No I never got to the bottom of this.

Basilstate · August 28, 2023, 08:04:10 AM

Quote from: 'Triggersmob' pid='125682' dateline='1633819354'Have a look at Princetane's thread about NZ predecimal coins over on CCF.
He talks about the 1965 proof like set on page 2. Maybe you can ask him that question.
https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=379889&whichpage=2

Someone should contact Princetane and ask him to post on this Forum,ridiculous ban on CCF.

Great knowledge of NZ Coins.

Nevol · August 28, 2023, 08:28:38 AM

QuoteSomeone should contact Princetane and ask him to post on this Forum,ridiculous ban on CCF.

Great knowledge of NZ Coins.

I've never contacted him through CCF, so I don't have an email addy for him, but if anyone here can contact him, please send him the following invitation to join this forum. There are no contact details for him on CCF.

TACF Invitation:
http://www.australian-coins.net/member.php?action=register&referrer=7

redlock · August 28, 2023, 03:03:33 PM

@Nevol

I have sent you a PM.

Triggersmob · August 29, 2023, 01:02:13 PM

He is already a member here. I invited him after he was booted from CCF.
He is Tanecoins.

Basilstate · August 30, 2023, 08:58:36 AM

Quote from: 'Triggersmob' pid='128484' dateline='1693279933'He is already a member here. I invited him after he was booted from CCF.
He is Tanecoins.

Ok,he doesn't post often,he was on CCF nearly every day.

I off loaded my NZ Coins in the early days of Ebay but still take an interest.

Triggersmob · August 30, 2023, 10:59:00 AM

Tane likes to add pictures to his threads, but this forum makes it more difficult to do that.
Just being able to load an image directly into a thread would be so much easier than having
to load it up into your gallery first. Too time consuming.

gweidion · August 30, 2023, 07:00:00 PM

Quote from: 'Triggersmob' pid='128488' dateline='1693358940'Tane likes to add pictures to his threads, but this forum makes it more difficult to do that.
Just being able to load an image directly into a thread would be so much easier than having
to load it up into your gallery first. Too time consuming.

I agree with that. I'm sure it wasn't initially this hard to upload a picture.
I don't know why it changed.

spraggdean23 · December 06, 2023, 10:03:15 PM

Does anyone know why PCGS changed from giving the coins in the blue label plastic sets a designation of PL to now SP?

Mister T · December 09, 2023, 08:46:03 AM

Not sure - maybe someone has been petitioning them?

I got a self-published book on New Zealand's coins a few years ago - I should have a look and see if it has anything to say.

Tanecoins · June 06, 2024, 09:23:57 PM

Its okay I am here! I will summarise whats on that CCF thread, I may not be there, but all my works are.

The 10 Proof sets of 1965 were likely Royal Mint one offs, or special ones presented to VIPS like Sir Keith Holyoake PM, Flemming the Reserve Bank Governor, The Governor General and perhaps Allan Sutherland our most important numismatist then. Also Her Majesty no doubt.

The offical sets for the 1965 last series were actually minted in late 1966 and sold through subscription. There were 4 types of set and 200,000 in total were released. First was the Ballot sets of Prooflike coins in a special case and these were essentially the same coins as the Blue Specimen sets, still they go for a few hundred now. 300 or 400 Ballot sets came out at an elevated price and only the nobs got them.

Then there were 30,000 Blue sets or Specimen sets - some call them Proofs as the coins were struck twice and had polished surfaces, however there is no cameoing on the design or devices. These were also in the same el cheapo packaging as the lesser sets described below. Originally bought on subscription, they actually sold out before the sets arrived in NZ. Now you can get them easily enough for around $20 - $30.

Below the blue sets were the Green sets (70k - Selected coins) and Pink sets (100k - Ordinary Uncirculated) - there is not much difference between the two, except the Green sets had slightly nicer examples. None of the coins were polished and only struck once. Green set coins were not allowed to drop into buckets and generally don't have the usual dings and knocks most circulation coins do. The Pink sets were ordinary coins plucked off the presses, but in general they were good examples and the mint staff likely picked decent examples for the sets.

All of the sets except the ballots and the 10 official proof sets were placed in cheap pliofilm packaging and placed in a cardboard sleeve printed in New Zealand. The sleeve was quite informative and discussed the set of coins and the coming decimal coins in 1967. Sets contained all 7 prececimal coins including the Halfcrown which had been removed from circulation early in 1965 (Mainly to avoid it clashing with the new 50c, worth 2 halfcrowns not one) and the Penny, which was not issued for circulation in 1965 - the powers that be made a dumb decision, as by 1966 there was a serious penny shortage and pennies from Australia had to be imported. No special crowns or any other coins were issued, just a set of standard coins and all but the Penny and Halfcrown were issued in large numbers for circulation in 1965 too. No coins dated 1966 were released and 1967 coins were exclusively decimal ones, so these were the last predecimal coins issued.

The sets were released for sale at Post Offices in November 1966. Only Pink and Green sets were sold as the Blue ones had sold out and were mailed to the lucky purchasers by the Post Office and Reserve bank. Cost was basic 10/- for Pink, £1 for Green and £2 for blue. None of this $79.95 plus $15 postage and handling nonsense then. The greens were gone by 10.30am despite limits of 1 set of each per customer, a rort started with people paying people to buy sets. Some apparently took money and then scarpered with the set, the usual deal was you got £2 for one of each and you kept the 10 bob change for doing it. Of course some people took the £2 and scarpered in the crowds or bought the coins themselves and kept them! By the end of day 2 all the pink sets were gone too and allocations to island colonies came back unsold and a few more sets went on the market (Seemed our Polynesian subjects were not much interested in coin collecting, of the 2000 sets sent to the Cook Islands, only 93 sets were sold).

Basically if you think you have 1965 proof coins, they must be polished and have the cameoed devices. otherwise you have set coins. The flimsy packaging meant many of the sets got opened, especially the cheaper pink and green ones, the pink set only cost 50% more than face value after all. Many 1965 dated pennies and halfcrowns actually circulated.

Hope this helps.