Princess Elizabeth became Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. Her coronation was held on 2 June 1953, and six months later she and her husband, Prince Philip, made their first visit to New Zealand as part of a Commonwealth tour. Sailing into Auckland on the SS Gothic in late December 1953, the royal couple travelled the full length of New Zealand over six weeks, and people turned out in unprecedented numbers to greet them.
To commemorate the new Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth, it was agreed to issue new permanent stamps featuring Queen Elizabeth II.
Hand-illustrated by Leonard Cornwall Mitchell, the stamp designs showed the Queen wearing the George IV State Diadem, adorned with the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, and framed with a spray of native kōwhai flowers and the Southern Cross constellation. This half-portrait design was registered in different colours across low-value stamp denominations, and issued in 1953-1954.
2026 marks 100 years since the Queen’s birth. Inspired by the first Queen Elizabeth II stamps, this gold ingot commemorates her life and historic reign.
Highlights
- A premium collectable commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth II
- 0.9999 gold
- Weight of 1g
- Dimensions of 8.5mm x 15mm
- Features an engraved image of Queen Elizabeth II as she appeared on the first permanent New Zealand stamps
- Very low maximum worldwide mintage of 200.
Design
Presented in a capsule, this 1g 0.9999 gold ingot was inspired by the 1953/4 stamps featuring the queen’s portrait. The stamp design included the Southern Cross, the constellation that appears on the New Zealand flag, and this appears in the top left corner of the ingot. The Queen’s royal cypher appears in the top right corner.
Check out the full range of ingots, medallions and coins here.
| Composition: | 0.9999 gold |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 8.5 mm x 15mm |
| Design: | Queen Elizabeth II 1953-4 New Zealand stamp portrait |
| Weight: | 1g |
| Worldwide mintage limit: | 200 |
