1 Dollar - Elizabeth II (4th Portrait; Elrond)

The 2012 New Zealand one-dollar coin featuring Elrond was issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to commemorate the theatrical release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As part of a broader series celebrating the film trilogy, which was famously filmed in New Zealand under the direction of Peter Jackson, these coins were minted as legal tender and marketed heavily toward film enthusiasts and numismatic collectors. The design was produced in collaboration with the film studio to align with the global branding of the J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations.

The coin features a detailed depiction of the half-elven Lord Elrond, as portrayed by actor Hugo Weaving in the films, rendered against a backdrop of Rivendell architecture. The obverse bears the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, serving as a formal reminder of the coin's status as official New Zealand currency. Upon release, the issue was well-received by fans of the franchise and collectors of commemorative circulating currency, though it primarily functioned as a decorative collector's item rather than a common medium of exchange.