2013 Coronation 60th Anniversary

Queen Elizabeth II 

60th Anniversary of the Coronation.

 1953 Coronation Issue.

        On 2nd June, 1953 the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey, London. This event took place nearly 18 months after Queen Elizabeth II succeeded her father, King George VI. To mark this event New Zealand issued a set of five values.

                                         

Westminster Abbey - 8d            Crown and Royal Sceptre - 1s 6d             Queen Elizabeth II - 3d

                                                             

                              

Buckingham Palace - 2d                                                                        The State Coach 4d   



1977 Queen Elizabeth - Silver Jubilee.
         25 years later New Zealand issued this special miniature sheet incorporating five 8c stamps showing five different portraits of the Queen.

The photo on the second stamp from the left in the
sheet above was used for the 10c definitive also
first issued in 1977, seen to the right.





2003 Queen Elizabeth II - 50th Anniversary of the Coronation.
        Another 25 years and New Zealand was issuing another set of stamps, this time to mark 50 anniversary of the Coronation. This time the set was a copy of the original coronation issue from 1953, with the dominations undated to modern decimal currency values.

                    

Buckingham Palace - 40c.

Queen Elizabeth II - 90c



The State Coach - $1.30

                    

    Crown and Royal Sceptre - $2.00                                        Westminster Abbey - $1.50 

2013 Queen Elizabeth II - 60th Anniversary of the Coronation.



        When the 60th anniversary arrived New Zealand again issued a set of stamps. This time they were similar to the 1977 issue rather than another repeat of the 1953 issue. The stamps in this issue feature the six main portraits that have appeared on New Zealand‘s legal tender coins – five on circulating currency and one on a commemorative coin. New Zealand also issued a commemorative coin at the same time.
When I saw this set I was not very impressed. In fact I decided I would not include it in
this blog but then recently I went back and had a closer look. Yes when I saw what they were trying to capture with this design by showing the portraits as they appeared on the coins of New Zealand I realised they had done something rather special. Now I think this set really tells the story of a queen on the throne for 60 years.

                     

70c - Portrait by Mary Gillick, 1953. 

           In 1953 New Zealand, along with Britain and other countries, issued the portrait of the youthful Queen designed by Mrs Mary Gillick. This portrait was used on coins from 1953 to 1956.

70c - Portrait by Mary Gillick, 1956 (re-engraved).

It was considered that the engraving of Mary Gillick’s 1953 design did not show the

detail well. Therefore the coin was re-engraved and the new die was introduced on coins in New Zealand in 1956.

$1.40 - Portrait by Arnold Machin, 1967. 

 The third effigy of the Queen to be used on a New Zealand coin was created by Arnold Machin. It was in use in New Zealand from 1967 to 1985.

                      

 $1.90 - Portrait by James Berry, 1979. 

Reginald George James Berry’s design of the Queen’s head was incorporated on New Zealand commemorative large dollar coins from 1979 to 1982. The design was unique to New Zealand.

$2.40 - Portrait by Raphael Maklouf, 1986.

A Raphael Maklouf design was selected for a new Queen’s effigy in 1986.

$2.90 - Portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley, 1999.

A competition for a new portrait was held by the British Royal Mint in 1996, and the chosen design by Ian Rank-Broadley was used on New Zealand coins from 1999.

 

        Queen's Coronation 60th Anniversary Silver Proof Coin. A coin to celebrate the six decades that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has served as New Zealand's graceful monarch.  This coin was issued at the same time as the stamp issue above. I do not usually include coins since this blog is concerned with stamps but in this case I thought the design of the coin nicely reflected the design of the stamps.

Miniature Sheet showing the six stamps and Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation. When I see a
photo like this I am rather amused by the guys standing behind her. Some of them look more dressed up than she is.

Here is the First Day Cover, again featuring all six stamps as well as another picture of the Queen. With her of course is her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ

You can visit their web site and On-line Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/