Owner Comments:
Rowi Kiwi - It has been difficult for me to locate information on the Rowi kiwi. According to the original government packaging for this coin, the rowi is the rarest of all the kiwi species. By some estimates only 140 of them may still be alive. If true, this bird has almost no chance of long term survival as a species.
Technical Specifications:
Silver Content (Troy oz): 1
Monetary Denomination (NZD): 1
Fineness (% Purity): 99.9
Minimum Gross Weight (g): 31.135
Maximum Diameter (mm): 40.60
Maximum Thickness (mm): 4.00
According to some estimates, only about 4000 of these coins were actually issued in 2005. So far only 2 have been graded as MS70 by NGC, as of the end of 2018.
This coin is a pretty major departure from the 2004. We see the introduction of plants and a foreground to position the kiwi in a scene. The image is also made seemingly more tender through the introduction of a young kiwi foraging with its parent. A repeating, knot-like pattern replaces the party-horns of the 2004 coin at the rims. These in my opinion are a vast improvement as they complete the rim and frame the image without invading the space of the main design features. The words "one ounce fine silver" are notable in their absence. No reference to the composition of the coin is made on the 2005. The number large "1" on the 2004 design has been replaced with the word "one," which tends to feel more formal.