The 1940 Centennial Half Crown commemorates 100 years since the Treaty of Waitangi — the accessible Waitangi-anniversary coin for collectors priced out of the 1935 crown. Like the Waitangi crown it was struck on silver from the Martha Mine. This entry covers what is verified about the issue and what still needs sourcing.
Key facts
- Issued 1940 for the centennial of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi; like the Waitangi crown, struck on silver sourced from the Martha Mine in Waihi.
- Denomination: half crown (2s 6d) of the New Zealand pound series; pre-decimal half crowns were .500 silver 1933–1946 (14.14 g, 32.30 mm).
- The centennial issue met far stronger public demand than the 1935 crown release, which had sold slowly during the Depression.