Catalog
1 Pound Sterling
| Issuer | Government of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ONE POUND / GOVERNMENT OF TONGA TREASURY NOTE / The Government of Tonga Promises to Pay the Bearer / ONE POUND STERLING / On Demand at the Treasury / NUKUALOFA / 1st January 1921 / £1 / Thomas De La Rue & Co. London / COMMISSIONERS OF CURRENCY |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in red, the reverse is covered by an elaborate symmetrical guilloche composition of interlocking hexagonal and rosette lathe-work medallions extending across the full field. The denomination £1 is placed in the upper-left and lower-right corners, with the word ONE repeated in the upper-right and lower-left corners, the whole forming a secure and decorative geometric underprint. |
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| Comments |
Tonga was one of the few Pacific kingdoms to retain full independence throughout the colonial period, and its Currency Commission — rather than a colonial treasury or trading bank — issued notes directly, an unusual arrangement that gave the royal government genuine control over its own paper money supply. De La Rue had printed for Pacific territories before, but Tongan issues of this period are genuinely scarce; the islands' small population and limited commercial economy meant print runs were small and survival rates low.
Three commissioner signatures were required for validity. The presence of Tuilovakano alongside the European administrators reflects the Commission's hybrid character.