Lot 741

Description

New Zealand Centennial, 1940, trial strike in bronze (38mm, 25.2g), by M&K (Mayer & Kean, Wellington), engraver GW (G.Whitehouse), (obverse design by T.H.Jenkin, Invercargill and reverse design by J.Berry, Wellington), with raised obverse rim (cfS.556; cfM.1940/1); another, but an issued example, struck in bronze (38mm, 25.5g) (S.556; M.1940/1). Good extremely fine, the first excessively rare. (2)

Major differences of the trial piece are on the obverse side, notably the palm fronds and the addition of billowy clouds behind the tree fern. Sutherland mentions the existence of a few trial pieces from the rejected die.

Sutherland also states that the dies for these medals are in the Dominion Museum (now Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa).

Ex Leon G.Morel Collection, purchased privately July 2008.