In 2004, when the coin this blog is focused on was issued, I was regularly buying NCLT from New Zealand( New Zealand post).  When I saw this coin and its method of encapsulation I had to have it.The coin is a 40 gram silver dollar sized gold piece of 22 Kt gold.  It is in a traditional Maori treasure box called a Wakahuia.  When I received the advertisement for the coin I jumped at the chance to own such an unusual type of NCLT. I submitted my order with credit card details and waited and waited.  What I and many other weren't aware of was NZ post had underestimated demand for the 300 coins( for an expensive NZ$1500 in 2004) on the official issue date they had had only had 150 struck and the wooden boxes were taking longer than anticipated.  It took them nearly 4 further months to fulfill my order. The delay was such that I was almost going to cancel my order for the coin when I received the latest NZ catalog. That catalog had  the coin valued at NZ$500.00 more than the issue price.   Behind the production was negotiations with the Ngati Whakaue sub tribe  to whom Pukaki, the person the carving represents, was a venerated ancestor.  There is much more behind the story; but with indigenous peoples rights and the chance of offending through my ignorance  I will not venture here to tell the full story as I understand it.  What I can report is that 30 of the 300 coins were given to the tribe and a further 75(or so), unlikely to ever come to market again,  were also purchased by tribe members.  This of course means the coin will remain a rarity. It is certainly one I treasure.   I prefer this form of encapsulation but  I don't see PCGS or NGC adopting the method.

This morning the post arrived with an annoying surprise. The local branch of my bank is closing and they were asking that I empty my safety deposit box by mid November.    I decided to do it immediately.  The  letter had only just arrived  so the news of the closure  was fresh , and the news that people had to empty their safety deposit boxes  hopefully hadn't got around.  So I head off to the bank  after lunch, with an airline carry on bag.  In half an hour I am back home with 1/3rd of my coins collection.     Before transferring the coins to a new bank  I had a sort through them and found some long forgotten treasures.    One small box brought a smile to my face:  In it were two numismatic items;  a New Zealand 1967  2 cent Bahama's Mule and  a Token from a Wellington( Capital City of New Zealand) Department store. Neither is particularly   rare  ( here is a link to the story of the Bahamas mule  http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/research_and_publications/fact_sheets_and_guides/5914507.pdf)  but that's not why I smiled in the case of these two coins  the provenance is far more important.  In 1967 New Zealand  converted from Pounds Shillings and pence to Dollars and cents.   I was only seven years old at the time, I can remember the black and white TV programs advertising the change, and recalling the difficulty I anticipated with the new coins.   Now  I can hardly remember the coins before  that date.  The Finance minister over seeing this change was the Right Honorable Rob Muldoon, the man who became NZ's most Famous or infamous, depending on your point of view, Prime Minister. He served as Prime Minister from 1975- 1984.  He is a contentious figure still, even though he died in1992.   People either  loved him or hated him there was never any middle ground.    For all his faults I recall him as the last real leader New Zealand had. He didn't listen to the press  he terrified them and  on at least one occasion he brought an ill-prepared Journalist to tears.  Right or wrong he led!!!  I suspect  he would be stunned at today's political world.   Back to the coins:In 1967 he was presented with the two coins that are now in my custody.   I am still amazed I am the owner, they came up for sale in NZ  about 3-4 years ago, there was no apparent interest in them and I made a fair ( but I believe cheap)offer  and they became mine.   the box they came in is not in great condition but  for me its the person behind the box and the two "coins" that is the most important .