The Coins And Banknotes Of Fiji!

The coins have nearly finished for me, but the thread can stay open for YOUR Fijian coins of all eras and if I buy anything real nice, I will add it here too.

The banknotes will be starting in their own thread in the Banknote section. I will do decimal notes first, rather than Predecimal ones which are proving elusive, even the One Penny and One Shilling ones.

Two dollar coins next.

Two Dollar coins 2012 now



$2 coin showing Tanoa bowl and Peregrine Falcon Ga Ni Vatu

This coin was issued first in 2012 well after the redesigned coinage came out and in time for the currency that did not have the Queen on it. (The current set of banknotes from 2007 was also reissued sans the Queen's portrait - more about those later). The $2 note was issued in the 2007 series, but not reissued for 2012.

To this date $2 is the highest face value Fijian coin in common circulation. Many of Fiji's non circulating coins have gone much higher face value wise.

The coins were minted out of brass plated steel and at the Royal Canadian bank. But it was not all peaches and cream initially. The Tanoa bowl was similar to that on the defunct 1 cent but more elaborate and with a magimagi (Coconut or pandamus fibre cord) with cowrie shells indicating its high status (Possibly Cakobau's Tanoa).



The 2012 small and 2014 large $2 coins

The first coins were issued with a Hendrodecagonal edge (11 sided) or though really this was an incessed rim. The coin was 24.6mm in diameter and weighed 6.1 grams. For comparison, the dollar was 23.0mm and weighed 5.05 grams. Hence it was really easy to confuse the two and elderly and blind Fijians found it hard to distinguish the two. Large numbers were issued in 2012 and a few in 2014. However 2013 coins although listed, are not known.

Another issue I have found is the number of these coins that have serious metal staining on them that blackens them and makes them hard to distinguish. Cheap brass plated steel is no good for the tropics.


Decent looking coins when new!

In 2014 they decided to reissue the new coin at slightly larger size of 26.5mm, a wee bit thicker (2.25mm vs 1.97) and heavier at 7.85grams. This would clash with the 50 cent, but the colour was darker and the edge had Spanish Flower milling with 7 small identations on the edge separating it from the $1 and 50 cent coins!

This situation seemed to please more people. My own collection has numerous 2012 small $2 coins that are stained and several better condition 2014 large $2 coins. I am missing any 2013 (Probably mythological) and small 2014 coins. My guess is the metal durability of the 2014 pieces was better too as none of mine are stained. I am shocked to realise I have F$38 worth of gold coin in my SPARES collection.

For as far as I know, there are no $2 coins issued for circulation since that big year of 2014. Redlock's figures would suggest around 5 million of these coins are circulating and I suspect the 2012/14 small coins are still legal too.

That ends the Fijian decimal coins and we move on to Banknotes!

Thanks PrinceTane, I totally missed the fact that there was two types of $2 coin in 2014. Just went back and fixed my spreadsheet. So I still need a 2014 with the earlier design and a 2013 if such thing exists. Thanks for the info mate.

Steve :)

Yeah, I looked on Numista too, but once I came to the $2 coins I stopped scrolling, not realising there was another one further down the page. DOH! Couldn't see $2 coins on the Online coin club at all.

Anyway this has been a great thread and I thank you for all the info. It's made me want to fill all the holes in my Fiji collection now, well at least the decimal coins. Already I have some on order and I will post pictures here once they land.

Cheers

Steve :)

I don't collect banknotes any more. I use to, but sold them all to fund more coins.
Still looking forward to seeing what you have though.

Now before PrinceTane adds the notes, these have just arrived.

1984 Fiji coins







1983 Fiji coins







These coins came in mint sets from the Singapore mint.



Steve :)

Banknotes - Introduction

Getting old Fijian Banknotes is not easy, Fiji did not really use masses of them until recently. I had a few to start off and added more Decimal notes, but getting Predecimal ones are hard and very expensive, so I will gloss through the Sterling notes and move on straight to the Decimal ones of 1968 onwards (Decimal day was 13/1/1969, but decimal notes were printed in 1968 and sent to Fiji before decimal day).

1. Early Notes - Foreign notes especially American ones were used in Fiji from the 1860s onwards and also Peruvian silver dollars. This meant in 1870 King Cakobau actually released a few decimal notes in DOLLARS. These are incredibly rare today.

2. After 1874 - Fiji became British and adopted the Pound Sterling and thus British and Australian Banks issued currency that was used in Fiji, some NZ banks also issued notes. These were trading bank notes and not state notes.

3. Only in 1934 did the Central Monetary Authority of Fiji start issuing notes along with coins. The Reserve Bank was established in 1984 and hence why you get CMA on notes into the 1980s.

These notes were issued in the values of 5/-, 10/-, £1, £5, £10 and £20. All showed the King on them and were long thin things, the back was word art and guilloches. The same designs were used through to 1967 with King George VI on 1937 to 1951 notes and QE2 on 1954 to 1967 notes. The watermark showed the head of a Fijian man and all had coats of Arms.

The 5/- was a purplish green, 10/- Brown, Pound Green, 5 Pounds Blue, 10 Pounds Purple and 20 Pounds forest green.

Notes up to an including the £1 were widely used and more common than high values. The £20 is super rare and they usually sell for $1000s when they come on the market.

4. World War 2 - Due to the Japanese coming near Fiji, coin supplies were endangered and low value notes for One Penny (Double sided and showing a penny on it) and One and Two Shillings were issued, these were plain and printed one side only. I have tried to buy these, but they slip away from me each time.

5. Overprints - Also in WW2, old £1 and £5 notes from New Zealand were overprinted "Government of Fiji" One or Five Pounds and sent there, in case of Japanese invasion these notes would be rendered worthless, it never happened and these notes are super rare now, especially the £5.

That brings us up to 1969 the first Decimal notes. The first series was the plain one of 1969 - 1980.

Series A - 1969/80

A1 - 1969 - Government of Fiji, 2 signatures on the note
50c, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20
A2 - 1971 Government of Fiji, 1 signature, as above for denominations
A3 - 1974/79 "Fiji" in big letters - 3 signature combinations, Barnes on all, Mc Earland 1976, Tomkins 1978. Notes from $1 to $20

All "A" notes large except 50 cents, pictorial backs for $1 and 50c, others plain.

Series B 1980 - 1993

B1 - Central Monetary Authority of Fiji 1980 - 1983
$1 to $20 notes - 2 signatures
B2 - Reserve Bank of Fiji 1984 - 1987
$1 - $20 - 2 signatures (All White governors to this point)
B3 - Reserve Bank of Fiji - 1 signature 1988 - 1993
$1 - $20, other notes changed to series C in 1992, except 1993 $1. First Fijian Governor - Sivatabuka.
All B notes had pictorial scenes.

Series C 1992 - 2005
C1 - 1 signature - Plain horizontal numbers
$2 to $20 and a $50 value added in 1995
C2 - 1 signature - Numbers rise in height on notes, brighter colours, from 1997 to 2006
C3 - One offs $2 Millenium note and $2000(!!!) note.

All C notes had new designs on back

Series D 2007 - now
D1 - One signature, Notes are smaller and have Queen on Front. $2 to $50, $100 added in 2012. $2 note last issue
D2 - One signature, Queen Removed for Wildlife image, addition of $100 note
D3 - Polymer notes 2017 onwards, just $5 at this stage but more added.
D4 - One offs, 2017 $7 note - Rugby 7's, 2020, 50th Independence anniversary $50 note in Polymer.

That is as basic as I can summarise it so far, I will elaborate soon.

NOTE:
1. I don't have everything, but at least 1 example of each major type.

2. My notes go up to $20 denomination only ($10 for series A notes), as they just get too expensive beyond $20. I will describe $50 and $100s though.

3. Some of my notes (Especially Series A and B) are not the nicest condition.

4. My allocation of series and types is my own construction, the true categorisation is probably different.