Despite his many years of experience, there was no way that Captain HG Robertson could have prepared any better for the battering that awaited the Wahine as she sailed into Wellington Harbour early on the morning of 10 April 1968.
Highlights
- 2oz silver proof
- Minted from 0.999 silver with selective colour
- Features a digitally printed, colour image of the Wahine in its prime
- Limited worldwide mintage of just 400
- Unique compass pattern encircling the centre image
- A koru pattern in the background represents gentle waves as well as symbolising new beginnings and ancestry
- Each coin comes with a unique numbered certificate.
Design
The overnight cruise into Wellington Harbour was nothing new to Captain HG Robertson and many of the 734 passengers and crew on board. Turbulent Cook Strait crossings were reasonably frequent. However, this night no-one was prepared for the raging storm that occurred when Cyclone Giselle ripped down the coast and collided with a southerly front. The result was one of the worst recorded storms in New Zealand’s maritime history.
This beautifully designed 2oz silver proof coin commemorates this dark day in New Zealand’s maritime history, with a digital, colour print of the Wahine in its prime taking centre stage. A maritime compass encircles the ship, while a koru pattern in the background creates the effect of gentle waves and also symbolises new beginnings and ancestry.
| Denomination: | One New Zealand dollar |
|---|---|
| Finish: | Proof |
| Composition: | 0.999 silver |
| Weight: | 2 troy oz |
| Diameter: | 50mm |
| Edge treatment: | Milled |
| Shape: | Round |
| Obverse design: | Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley, United Kingdom |
| Reverse design: | T.E.V. Wahine |
| Designed by: | Jonathan Gray, New Zealand Post |
| Worldwide mintage limit: | 400 |
| Mint: | BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH |