Most of us have never seen a coin worth $16,000 – but John Irvine has and considers it "the one that got away".
It depicts a handshake, featured on a memorial crown released in 1935: it depicts Ngāpuhi chief Tāmati Wāka Nene shaking hands with Aotearoa's first governor William Hobson, above the legend "Waitangi".
"When I was younger, it was worth a few hundred pounds," explains Irvine. "Now it's worth $16,000. I didn't have enough money to buy it then, and now it's just too much to justify the expense."
Irvine is a coin collector or numismatist in formal parlance – and doesn't know if NZ Post's latest eagerly awaited commemorative collection will reach such financial heights, but says the collecting world loves New Zealand coins.
He's lost count of how many coins he owns, and (currently) can't get into the collection room to count them: "My wife is working from there while we are in lockdown," he says. "She's on video calls a lot so I stay out."
Excluding rare exceptions (like the memorial crown), Irvine has a specimen of every New Zealand coin – and he's gearing up for a new purchase when NZ Post releases their new collection, Whānau Mārama Family of Light, produced in celebration of Matariki 2021.
There will be two coins in this release, representing the Sun and Moon. The illustrations featured on the moon coin (Marama) depict its lunar phases (Maramataka), which helped Māori to interact with the stars of Matariki.
Tamanuiterā's (the Sun's) two wives are Hine raumati (summer) and Hinetakurua (winter). Interestingly, the pathway that Tamanuiterā follows in summer is different to that which he traces during winter, which means the Matariki star cluster is positioned differently each season.
These coins are likely to be snapped up by collectors at home and internationally. Irvine explains New Zealand collectable coins are highly sought-after globally: "The smaller vintages [in particular] rise quickly in value."
NZ Post's commemorative coins (released every year) are prized by collectors. Kupe "the great navigator" silver set sold out within 24 hours in 2019, as did a "Zealandia" silver coin set last year. Crafted from 0.9999 gold, with only 150 minted (plus 400 silver sets), the Matariki series will likely follow suit.
The coins have been created by David Burke, a Māori artist and designer with over 30 years' experience with Luke Mikaire Crawford (kaumātua to the Māori All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby). Crawford acted as cultural advisor and writer for the project; long-time collaborator Burke created the coin's beautiful designs.
Irvine, for one, is excited about the new release of coins. His fascination with coins transcends their monetary value ("I'd never sell them," he says). Rather he views each coin as a tiny historical snapshot: his collection traverses nationally significant events like the Queen's visit and Rugby World Cups.
"When New Zealand hosted the Rugby World Cup, there was a collection created in the shape of rugby jerseys," he says. "New Zealand puts out the most beautiful coins. Collectors love them."
NZ Post's new coin series will also act as a testimonial to our history. Traditional Māori astronomy was integral to Māori tikanga in pre-colonial times – knowledge of the rising and positioning of Tamanuiterā and the phases of the Marama, together with the positioning and movement of ngā Whetū is known as Tātai Arorangi and was retained by astronomical experts.
While Tātai Arorangi was eroded and undermined by western thinking post-colonisation, there has been a recent resurgence in interest: the instatement of Matariki as a public holiday is a fitting testament to this renaissance.
And the release of these coins, alongside NZ Post's series of Matariki-inspired stamps, will allow collectors like Irvine to revisit this time in our national history for years to come.
For more information: collectables.nzpost.co.nz/shop-collectables/collections/maori-stories/