Editing New Zealand dollar (section)

===Introduction===

Prior to the introduction of the New Zealand dollar in 1967, the [[New Zealand pound]] was the currency of New Zealand, which had been distinct from the [[pound sterling]] since 1933.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Pollock |first1=Kerryn |title=Coins and banknotes - A national currency, 1930s to 1960s |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/coins-and-banknotes/page-2 |encyclopedia=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |access-date=10 May 2020 |date=20 June 2012}}</ref> The pound used the [[£sd]] system, in which the pound was divided into 20 shillings and one shilling was divided into 12 pence, a system which by the 1950s was considered complicated and cumbersome.

[[Decimalisation|Switching to decimal currency]] had been proposed in New Zealand since the 1930s, although only in the 1950s did any plans come to fruition.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Pollock |first1=Kerryn |title=Coins and banknotes - Decimal currency, 1960s to 2000s |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/coins-and-banknotes/page-3 |encyclopedia=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=10 May 2020 |date=20 June 2012}}</ref> In 1957, a committee was set up by the Government to investigate decimal currency. The idea fell on fertile ground, and in 1963, the Government decided to decimalise New Zealand currency.<ref name="RBNZexplain">{{cite web |url= http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/notes_and_coins/explaining_currency.pdf |title= Explaining New Zealand's currency |publisher=[[Reserve Bank of New Zealand]] |access-date= 17 August 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130712052241/http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/notes_and_coins/explaining_currency.pdf |archive-date= 12 July 2013}}</ref> The Decimal Currency Act was passed in 1964, setting the date of transition to 10 July 1967.<ref>{{cite web|title=Decimal Currency Act 1964 No 27 (as at 01 February 1990), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation|url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1964/0027/latest/DLM351233.html|website=www.legislation.govt.nz|access-date=6 February 2017|language=en-NZ}}</ref> Words such as "fern", "kiwi" and "zeal" were proposed to avoid confusion with the word "dollar", which many people associate with the [[United States dollar]].<ref name="NZ History">{{cite web|title=New Zealand adopts decimal currency|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/nz-adopts-decimal-currency|website=nzhistory.govt.nz|publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage|access-date=6 February 2017|date=10 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=New Zealand dollar|url=http://www.global-exchange.com.au/currencies-of-the-world/new-zealand-dollar|publisher=Global Exchange|access-date=6 February 2017}}</ref> In the end, the word "dollar" was chosen anyway, and an [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] dollar note cartoon character called "Mr. Dollar" became the symbol of transition in a huge publicity campaign.<ref>{{cite web | author= The Film Archive | url= http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/sellebration/view.php?id=212 | title= Decimal Currency, Mr. Dollar | access-date= 8 March 2012 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120803121122/http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/sellebration/view.php?id=212 | archive-date= 3 August 2012 | url-status= dead}}</ref>

On Monday 10 July 1967 ("Decimal Currency Day"), the New Zealand dollar was introduced to replace the pound at a rate of two dollars to one pound (one dollar to ten shillings, ten cents to one shilling, {{frac|5|6}} cent to a penny).<ref>{{cite book|title=New Zealand official yearbook|date=1967|publisher=New Zealand Department of Statistics|page=1126|volume=72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0q4rAQAAIAAJ}}</ref> Some 27 million new banknotes were printed and 165 million new coins were minted for the changeover.<ref name="NZ History" />