A Buzzworthy Coin

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand recognizes the importance of honeybees on its most recent release. 

The hexagonal collector coin’s reverse depicts a queen bee in full color on a honeycomb with worker bees in the background. The inscription QUEEN BEE appears above the design. Stephen Fuller’s effigy of King Charles III appears on the obverse. The coins are available in .999-fine silver proof and color versions with mintages of 1,200 each. To purchase, visit the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s online shop or Power Coin, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s official distributor.

Honeybees of New Zealand

A part of New Zealand’s bio-infrastructure for more than 150 years, honeybees were likely first introduced by Mary Bumby, the sister of a Methodist missionary. It is believed that she brought two hives with her when she landed at the Māngungu Mission Station at Hokianga in March 1839. 

Honey from New Zealand is incredibly flavorful and popular worldwide, with its unique taste attributed to New Zealand’s indigenous plants. Mānuka honey, a premium variant with clinically proven antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, generates upwards of $400 million annually from exports alone.