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Story: Hops, tobacco and hemp

Riverhead Gold

Riverhead Gold

In the 1920s the National Tobacco Company sold tobacco mixtures containing locally grown leaves. Their names included ‘Cut Plug No. 10’, ‘Navy Cut No. 3’, ‘Riverhead Gold’ and ‘Cavendish Mixture’. The blurb claimed that their tobacco did not ‘injure heart, lungs or throat. Medical authorities recommend it’.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: Eph-C-TOBACCO-NTC-1920s-01

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Jim McAloon, Hops, tobacco and hemp – Tobacco, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/17034/riverhead-gold (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Jim McAloon, published 1 March 2009.

Comments

Geraldine Taylor
31 October 2017
Can you still purchase NZ toasted tobacoes and where would you purchase it from ?
Wendy & Brett McGregor
04 August 2014
Hi, we have been told that the lady on the the Riverhead tobacco tins was Lily Hansen,who was my Great Aunt, I was told this by a grand daughter of Lily's sister - is there any way to find out who was the lady?
Erica McGillivray
02 September 2013
I have found an old 'riverhead gold tobacco tin' in our wall today from doing renovations. Would you know of anywhere that i could donate to.