- Time Period: Post-WW2
- Year of Institution: 9 February 1990
- Country: New Zealand
The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, also known as the Sesquicentennial Medal, was established by Queen Elizabeth II through a Royal Warrant on February 9, 1990.
It was specifically intended for award during the year 1990, and around 3,000 individuals were initially chosen to receive it in recognition of their contributions to various aspects of New Zealand life, particularly in connection with the 1990 celebrations. Ultimately, 3,632 medals were conferred.
This medal holds significance as it was issued on the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840, by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from New Zealand’s North Island.
The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal is an official decoration to be worn on all appropriate occasions. In the order of precedence, it follows Coronation and Jubilee medals but precedes long service decorations and medals. Each recipient is also presented with a certificate bearing the signatures of the Queen, the Governor-General, and the Prime Minister.
The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal Design
The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal is a gilt metal, circular in shape.
On the obverse, it bears the Effigy of the Sovereign surrounded by the inscription “ELIZABETH II • QUEEN OF NEW ZEALAND”. On the reverse is the official 1990 Symbol (a stylized Kotuku, White Heron) and the inscription “NEW ZEALAND 1990 COMMEMORATION”.
The medal is suspended by a ribbon, 32 millimeters in width, consisting of nine narrow stripes of red ochre, white, red ochre, white, black, white, red ochre, white, and red ochre.
