Reginald George James Berry (known as James)
designer of the first New Zealand decimal coins
Berry was born in London in 1906. He went to Russell Hill boarding school and won prizes for art. He started working life as an insurance clerk but finding the work uncongenial, he emigrated to New Zealand in 1925. He paid off his assisted passage as a farm cadet in Gisborne.
In 1927 he began working as a commercial artist with Goldberg Advertising Agency in Wellington. In 1932 he married Miriel Frances Hewitt and they went on to have five daughters and one son. From 1935 until 1942 he was staff artist at the Dominion. From 1944 onwards he was self-employed designing book covers, illustrations, bookplates and then stamps, coins and medals.
Berry designed the entire peace issue of stamps in 1946 and then the lighthouse stamps for the Government Insurance Department issues.
In 1964, New Zealand decided to change to decimal currency. Designs were invited and Berry sent four sets featuring New Zealand flora and fauna. One set was selected and subsequently approved by the Royal Mint and issued in 1967. He was named ‘1966 Man of the Year’ by The Dominion Sunday Times, and awarded the OBE in 1968. The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins have been withdrawn from circulation and the 20 cent redesigned. But Berry’s 10 and 50 cent coin remain in use today.
He was an honorary member of the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand, the New Zealand Ex Libris Society and the Friends of the Turnbull Library.
Berry died in 1979 and was cremated at Karori Cemetery. During his lifetime he completed more than 1,000 designs for stamps, coins and medals.
