3. Zones of InfluenceAs many of the Pacific Islands were tiny and had small populations, making coinages for them all seemed ridiculous. Plu before WW2 most natives had little use for money and only in the 1950s were they further integrated into the Cash world.
These colonies were all part of the British Empire/Commonwealth - but were given to Australia and New Zealand to administer and as a result used their currencies. Here is a basic list.
1. Australian Pound
Australia
Norfolk Island
Cocos and Keeling (Although in 1910s Clunie Ross issued tokens in the decimal rupee of Ceylon and Seychelles, and the Malayan dollar was used in this location and Christmas Island)
Christmas Island(Only to 1958 and after 1968 used Aussie dollar)
Papua and New Guinea to 1935 and from 1952 onwards
(Includes New Britain, Bougainville, Torres Strait etc)
Papua 1935 - 1944 (Solely)
Nauru
Solomon Islands
Tuvalu (Ellice Islands)
Kiribati (Gilbert Islands)
New Zealand (Bronze 1911 - 1939 and some silver coins to 1920)
2. New Zealand Pound
New Zealand
Chatham Islands
Niue (From 1903)
Cook Islands (From 1901)
Western Samoa (From 1915 when taken from Germany)
Tokelau (From 1948)
Tonga (Possibly used with Fijian Pound)
Fiji (1933 - 1934)
3. British Pound - Pound sterling
All of the South Pacific including Australia and NZ to 1910
New Zealand to 1933 (Bronze to 1940) - solely 1920 - 1933 as the British pound debased in 1920 and the Australian coins did not, meaning that they were too precious here.
The period 1910 - 1920 was Australian and British pounds, pre 1910 solely British pound in NZ.
Fiji to 1933
Tonga to 1934
Western Samoa (As a trade currency to 1915 and solely until 1933)
Cook Islands and Niue to 1933
Nauru to 1917
Gilbert and Ellice Islands until 1917, less offically to 1948 for Union Islands (Tokelau)
Pitcairn Island right through, although they did use NZ currency at times as well.
4. Other currenciesUS Dollar - Micronesia, Marshall Islands, American Samoa (Mostly 1898 for AS and 1915/1942 onwards for others)
Chilean Peso, Peruvian Sol - used in Tokelau, Samoa, New Hebrides, Solomons, Nauru and other islanders where "Blackbirders" operated in the 1800s. These were unscrupulous Hispanics who harvested islands of men to dig bird guano on islands off South America for nitrate and later Queenslanders who harvested "Kanaks" for sugar cane plantations. Blackbirding ended in 1906.
Most blackbirding was basically slavery and islands like Niue, Tokelau and Tana took a long time to recuperate. Some blackbirders offered unfair contracts which paid low sums for labour and workers were kept in appalling conditions (say 10/- for 3 months work or 1 Peso a month)
German Marks - Used in German Island colonies between 1870s and 1915 - German Samoa, Deutsch Neu Guinea, Karolinen and Marschall Inseln, Nauru.
Japanese yen - used in Caroline, Bonin, Guam, Marshall islands and much of Micronesia peacefully 1919 - 1940 as Japan was an ally in WW1 and got these Islands as a thank you!
WW2 also saw the Japanese yen used in these places along with New Guinea, Solomons and other Micronesian locations with occupation (Banana) money.
French Francs - Used in New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Wallis and Futuna and French Polynesia - this was not reformed in 1960 and thus these currencies survive today as New Caledonian Franc and French Polynesian Franc. The New Hebrides Gold Franc, became a standard Franc in 1976 and the Vatu in 1983.
Next back to the coins of 1937!
Loving Halfcrowns. British and Commonwealth coins 1750 - 1950 and anything Kiwi.
If it's round, shiny and silvery I will love it.