New Zealand Coins and Notes

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What this lesson covers

  • New Zealand coins are 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2.
  • New Zealand notes are $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.
  • 100 cents make 1 dollar.
  • A coin's size does not tell you its value.
Key idea

Our coins

  • There are five coins.
  • c means cents. $ means dollars.
  • The $1 coin has a kiwi on it.
CoinColourWorth
10ccopper10 cents
20csilver20 cents
50csilver50 cents
$1gold1 dollar
$2gold2 dollars
Key idea

Our notes

  • There are five notes.
  • Each note has its own colour, so you can tell them apart.
NoteColour
$5orange
$10blue
$20green
$50purple
$100red
Key idea

Try it: coin or note?

Key idea

Cents and dollars

  • 100 cents make 1 dollar.
  • So $1 is worth more than 10c, 20c or 50c.
  • Two 50c coins make $1.
Key idea

Bigger is not always more

  • The 50c coin is bigger than the $1 coin.
  • But $1 is worth more.
  • Read the number on the coin, not its size.
Worked example

From least to most

  • Line them up by what they are worth.
Coins, least to mostNotes, least to most
10c$5
20c$10
50c$20
$1$50
$2$100
Key idea

Try it: add up coins and notes

Worked example

Same amount, different money

  • At the dairy, you can pay the same amount in different ways.
AmountOne wayAnother way
50cone 50c cointwo 20c and one 10c
$1one $1 cointwo 50c coins
$2one $2 cointwo $1 coins
$10one $10 notetwo $5 notes
Key idea

Try it: pay 50c exactly

Common mistakes

  • The biggest coin is worth the most.
    The 50c coin is bigger than the $1 coin, but $1 is worth more.
  • 10c is worth more than $1, because 10 is more than 1.
    $1 is 100 cents. 10c is only 10 cents.
  • $5 is a coin.
    $5 is a note. Our biggest coin is $2.
  • Two 20c coins make 50c.
    Two 20c coins make 40c. Add a 10c to make 50c.

Your turn

1

Which is worth more: 50c or $1?

2

What colour is the $5 note?

3

Which coin is worth the least?

4

How many $1 coins make $2?

5

Is $20 a coin or a note?

Show answer

1. $1 2. Orange 3. 10c 4. 2 5. A note

Summary

What to take away

  • Coins: 10c, 20c, 50c, $1, $2.
  • Notes: $5, $10, $20, $50, $100.
  • 100 cents make $1.
  • Read the number, not the size.
Report a mistake

More in Number

Counting to 100 and Place ValueNotes1st, 2nd, 3rd, Te Reo Numbers and Number LinesNotesGroups, Pairs and Counting in 2s and 10sNotesNumber Facts to 10, Doubles and Adding to 20NotesJoining, Taking Away and Equal GroupsNotesHalves and QuartersNotesSharing Fairly: From Halves to QuartersNotesNew Zealand Coins and NotesNotes

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