In 1991, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand had breached international convention as it commemorated Sir Edmund Hillary, then very much alive and kicking, on the NZ$5 note. Known as the first person to reach the summit of Everest, Sir Hillary is probably the only living person worldwide, aside from heads of states, depicted on a bank note of a country's legal tender.
After conquering Mount Everest in 1953, he performed another feat in 1958 by becoming the first man to drive overland to the South Pole. He is indeed New Zealand's most accomplished explorer! During his prime, he became the country's High Commissioner to India from 1985 to 1989.
His portrait in the banknote was engraved from a photograph taken in 1953 around the time of his conquest of Everest. It is depicted against a background of Maori Tukutuku designs. Also, illustrated in front of the bank note is Mount Cook, the first peak he scaled in 1948, and a Ferguson tractor.
The back of the NZ$5 note features one of the world's rarest penguins, the Yellow Eyed Penguin, which can only be found in New Zealand. The scene also features swirling bull kelp, quite common around the New Zealand coastal areas, and also, a colorful yellow flowered sub-antarctic lily and a giant daisy flower.
These banknotes, personally signed by Sir Hillary, are now expected to catch more attention from collectors around the globe, especially so that the conqueror of Everest now passed away. He died just recently on Jan. 11, 2008.
As such, expect the market value and demand for the said bank note to reach its peak this year. And this article is only meant to guide you somehow in determining what's fake and what's real. Patronizing original crafts over pirated ones is more than paying a tribute to this great explorer of our time.
Beware of counterfeits!
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