The Coins And Banknotes Of Fiji!

No I haven't, only found about it today. Redlock - the nit picking over what I have forgotten or got wrong needs to stop.

I am putting a hugeamount of work into this thread and never once stated that it was complete or comprehensive, give me a break mate.

I am a NZer and adopt a laid back approach to the thread, raw information not a paid guidebook. I am sure a manual exists that costs hundreds of dollars or euros with everything in great detail. I do it for free and you all get value for money.

Rather than point out my mistakes, show the items later on or in a new thread.

Thank you.

SERIES A 1969 and 1971 Notes.

The easiest way to tell these notes apart is that they are named "Government of Fiji", because Fiji only became Independent in October 1970, yet no one told the printers that it was in 1971!

Another way is that no 50 cent notes were issued after this era.

If your note says "Fiji" only, its a 1974 or later one.

1969 series are incredibly rare, I am super lucky to have the tenner shown above.


1969 $10 Note.


Reverse - Notice it says "Government of Fiji"

I got this cheap due to the heavy staining and its poor condition - still because its 1969 I brought it. Most of the 50 cent and $1 notes of this type are easy to find, $2 a bit harder and the high values forget it. Any $20 note of series A is worth an arm and a leg.

1969 types always have 2 signatures on them, Ritchie and Barnes.

The 1971 types have just one signature. Like 1969 I have just one 1971 note and its the 50 cent note. Apologies as I have shown it ad nauseaum, once again!


- 1971 50 cents note.

There is just one signature and its CA Stinson on these notes.

As you will see apart from words, my 1974 series includes all of the notes sans the $20 and designs are completely the same!

Fantastic examples and information.

Summing up series A

What I like
- It was the first distinctively Fijian series of notes (The polygons, bark patterns in borders where streets ahead of the guilloches and English style spirograph designs on the Sterling notes).
- Bright colours and apart from $1 and $5, generally each denomination can be distinguished.
- The higher values have some collectible value/desirability
- Signature combinations and Y Prefix notes make things interesting, and the 3 main types.
- Large size of all notes but 50 cents
- The fact there was a 50 cent note
- Pacific Island currency not dependent on colonial or larger country

What I did not like
- No attempt at showing Fijian people/culture
- Minimal attempts at pictorial scenes except on 2 lowest values
- All the notes are the same size and these may have confused older/blinder and illiterate people. Also the fronts were same design except numbers and colour. The $2 to $20 had the same designs too.
- Rather cheap and basic printing - even Fijian designs are very basic and generic (Lazy design)
- The paper was low quality and stained easily (Most notes in Tropical places became limp stained rags)
- The prohibitive cost of obtaining high denomination ($5 and up) and high grade (VF or better), examples.
- Fiji may have been independent but White men still calling the shots at the bank.
- Ever even seen a $20 in the flesh, let alone buy one?

As you will see, Series B was much better, smaller notes and better designed with more local content.

I will show my series B notes in order of face value rather than type.

$1 - Market scene

Front showing a shark tooth pattern at top, black and grey colouring with sepia overtones. Some of these notes had 8 digits, a letter and 2 number prefix and 6 numbers.


Market scene with Fijians buying and selling, based on Photograph. Note is late series (1987) with Siwatibau signature. Ship is also shown.

The weird hands around the bowl symbol is shown at left. This appears on all Series B and C notes.

$2 - Sugar cane scene

1988 - Siwatibau single signature, note in poor condition overall, faded colours, different border designs, Letter/Number prefix and 6 numbers.


Back shows man cutting sugarcane in a canefield with a train used for carrying it out at left. Some perspective used, Bluish green (Tourqouise, Lapis Lazuli type colours).

The two low value notes in this series were heavily used and numerous examples exist, mostly of the Reserve Bank (1984 - 1993) era, earlier notes are often tatty. Showing market scenes and sugar cane cutting were apt as many people in these trades probably used masses of them.

The 3 high values are less common, but unlike Series A, none are rare (My AU $20 cost $40) - some of the CMA notes and any of the first phase (Barnes/Tomkins) are more scarce and desirable in high grade (EF+).

I aim to get at least one example of each type of signature and a Y note too. At this stage I am still beginning - but at least have a denomination set - but as you can see they range in phases.

My last two notes cover early and late phases of series B


$10 - CMA Phase 1983 (Same era as $5 note). Colours Purplish orange. Banner shows lozenges and diagonal pattern at bottom. Note is in "Fine" condition - slightly better than $5 but still a very average example (It cost $16 which is cheap for a 40 year old $10 note!)


$10 Reverse, here we have another lively scene, a war dance with Fijian warriors in traditional dress dancing with spears. In Front of traditional village with spears. Ambitious but I feel the scene is too small (Blame this on the narrowness of the series) and does not suggest movement like $5 scene. Still next to earlier $10 and £5 notes, this is a huge improvement.

Finally my last note, the $20 and this was the top value in Series B. It is a good example too, some Fijian made many sacrifices to keep this looking good!


$20 note - 1988 Sivatibau only signature, Reserve Bank phase, sharp navy/tourquoise blue. Diagonal patterns in the border. Condition of this note is AU - very happy and only cost $40.


$20 Reverse - Fijian house with raised roof, It sits on a pile of volcanic or igneous rocks and has a staircase to the door. The high roof and elaborate wooden ceiling rods suggest its a chiefs house or a ceremonial house.
Set in a bay with mangrove forest in background, open dingy at right.

The house is traditional, but concrete stair ramp suggests its a modern scene. If not a chiefs house could be a temple or "God" house.

This note along with the $2 has Bradbury Wilkinson at bottom, as its 1988 there is a good chance the note was printed at Whangarei in New Zealand - where a side branch of BW was open between 1980 and 1990 printing Series D New Zealand Banknotes.

That concludes my Series B notes, summing up then Series C where the notes evolve again.

As far as I know, no except for the coins minted in the Proof sets and possibly Uncirculated ones minted in Singapore.

The other thing that makes me suspicious is the fact that the alleged mintages for every coin in 1983 (3,030,000) and 1984 (5,005,000) is the same on Numista, looking at mintages for other Fijian coins, they never minted the exact same figure for every denomination every year. These are also very high numbers of coins for Fiji, which only saw such huge mintages for the 1c and 5c in years like 1969 and 1990.

Then again, the Australian mint minted kabillions of 20c coins in 1983 and 1984 and they were remelted. Was this the same in Fiji. Steve advised me however this was to do with the "Spacies" bubble bursting in 1983. However I doubt "Spacies" were as big in Fiji in 1983 as they were in Australia or New Zealand. Spacies was slang for video computer games all the rage at the end of the 1970s and early 1980s. They usually cost 20 cents to play and their appearance saw milk money disappear everywhere as addicts stole and used the coins to feed their addicton (Me included!)

First of all, only the wealthy could afford to waste piles of 20 cent coins on video games, second of all I doubt you would find many parlours outside of Suva, Nadi and Nausori on the Islands.

Other people may have different opinions.

Looking good!