Featuring a shirtless Māori warrior crouched on rocks while holding a taiaha, the initially silver coin was released to generally critical public response.

Reverse designs were a matter of collaboration between the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, headed by Deputy Master Robert Johnson, and the New Zealand government.

His first featured a toki poutangata (A Māori ceremonial greenstone adze) crossed with a whakapakoko rākau (godstick), bisecting the text "SHILLING" and "NZ".

[10] Metcalfe's second design showed an abstracted kiwi facing towards the viewer and standing on flat ground, with the label of "SHILLING" above, "N" and "Z" at front and back of the bird, and the date below.

Coinage Committee member and numismatic historian Allan Sutherland likened the kiwi design to a pine-cone, disapproving of the rendering: "The average New Zealander would not accept this as an accurate representation of the national wingless bird.

The shilling, on advice from Minister of Native Affairs Sir Āpirana Ngata, was prescribed as a "Maori figure crouching alert with taiaha [...] design fairly filling circle, plain field."

The Royal Mint was asked to reference Allan Gairdner Wyon's 1911 design for the Hector Memorial Medal, the obverse of which shows a Māori hunter snaring a huia.

Kruger Gray, also unable to reference the medal, was disappointed by the elimination of kowhaiwhai, considering it important to preserving a distinct national character for the New Zealand coinage.

Several days after the request was brought to Kruger Gray, Johnson reassured him that the original designs would go forward, and he was asked to proceed with the shilling with slight modifications, including increased definition given to the nostrils of the bird.

Johnson cited agreement from Prime Minister Forbes on the use of the kiwi shilling: "New Zealand Premier wishes to abide strictly by the decision [...] and proposes to disregard the observations of the local Committee.

The Advisory Committee aimed to stall until Forbes' return to New Zealand on 20 September, upon which Coates would lose acting ministerial powers and work could continue on the originally approved designs.

However, Forbes ultimately conceded to the Design Committee upon his return to New Zealand, alerting the Royal Mint in early October to continue with the proposed redesign.

Kruger Gray's abstracted kiwi design was initially transferred to the florin directly, but he was ultimately forced to redesign it in a naturalistic fashion.

[25] Johnson's concerns about the force required to depict the high relief figure turned prescient, as harder blows led to much shorter lifespans for the individual dies while minting the shilling.

The ahistorical usage of the piupiu garment (associated with modern Haka dance and ceremony) in a combat scenario was criticised, alongside the awkward pose with which the taiaha was held.

However, low mintage figures in the early 1940s and 1950s lead to significantly scarcity of uncirculated coins of some dates, with some, such as the 1955 shilling, worth hundreds of dollars at market in mint condition.