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1 Pound
| Issuer | Government of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1937-1938 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 180 × 95 mm |
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| Obverse description | Printed in red, the obverse carries the Tongan Coat of Arms as a central vignette, flanked by palm tree motifs at left and right within a guilloche underprint. The design is based on the earlier P#3 type, distinguished by an overprint of several lines or a solid block obscuring the word STERLING at the right. Denomination and issuer inscriptions appear in letterpress along the upper and lower margins. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed entirely in red, the reverse is dominated by an elaborate symmetrical guilloche composition arranged horizontally across the full face of the note, with interlocking hexagonal and foliate rosette panels of fine lathe work forming a dense, ornate pattern. The pound sterling symbol and numeral '1' appear in the upper left and lower right corners, with the word ONE in the remaining diagonal corners. |
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| Comments |
Tonga's currency in this period operated under an unusual arrangement: the Government of Tonga issued notes directly, bypassing a central bank entirely, a structure that persisted for decades. The 1937–1938 issue was part of a small series produced by De La Rue at a time when the Kingdom remained a British Protected State — technically sovereign, yet with its external relations managed from London. That political ambiguity is quietly embedded in the note's existence.
P#7 is scarce in any grade. The combination of low print run, Pacific Island circulation conditions, and the disruptions of the Second World War that followed almost immediately accounts for the attrition.