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1/2 Pa'anga / 50 Seniti - King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
| Issuer | Government of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1974-1983 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | PULE`ANGA `O TONGA T$ 1/2 29th July, 1983 KOMISIONA PA`ANGA PA`ANGA `E NIMANGOFULU (Translation: Government of Tonga July 29th., 1983 Commissioners of amount Half Pa`anga) |
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| Protection description | Portrait watermark of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV |
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| Comments |
Tonga's banknotes were issued directly by the government rather than a central bank until the National Reserve Bank of Tonga was established in 1989 — an unusual arrangement that persisted well into the modern era and gives this series its distinctive "Government of Tonga" authority line. The 1/2 Pa'anga denomination itself is an oddity; fractional banknotes are rare in Pacific currency, and the parallel 50 Seniti designation reflects the decimal structure introduced with the pa'anga in 1967, replacing the old Tongan pound at a rate of two pa'anga to one pound.
Thomas De La Rue supplied the entire series through this period, a relationship Tonga maintained for decades.