Rather than avoiding the common mānuka shrubs and trees, beekeepers are now placing their hives in areas that are densely populated with the fragrant, native plant. Although there is no way to encourage bees to go specifically to mānuka flowers, placing the hives nearby does mean that there is likely to be a higher concentration of mānuka in the final honey product.

The Mānuka Honey coin follows the success of our 2016 Honey Bee coin. The hexagonal shape has been used again as it represents honey bees and the honeycombs they use for storage. Coloured resin is used to depict the rich, golden colour of mānuka honey, and can be seen dripping from a wooden dipper. A digitally printed honey bee is perched on a whitish-pink mānuka flower. Other engraving techniques give further depth to this beautiful coin.