Wellington, Feb 9 NZPA - New Zealand's most valuable legal tender -- a one-ounce (28.35g) pure gold coin worth $2650 -- has been issued by NZ Post, with permission from the Reserve Bank.

The $10 coins -- of which only 500 were made -- feature a heitiki design carved by Te Puke artist Raponi Wilson.

Mr Wilson, of Ngati Rangitihi and Tuhourangi, specialised in carving weapons and adornments, working extensively with pounamu (greenstone) and paraoa (whalebone). He had carved more than 1000 heitiki (carved human figurines, often shortened to tiki) in his career spanning five decades.

Each of the coins comes in a waka huia, or treasure box, designed by the Maori King's master carver, Warren McGrath and made from 45,000-year-old swamp kauri.

New Zealand Post is also making 4000 silver coins, bearing a $1 face value. The silver coins would be sold for $129 each.