Catalog
20 Pounds
| Issuer | Government of Fiji |
|---|---|
| Year | 1937-1951 |
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| Printer | Bradbury Wilkinson and Company, United Kingdom (1856-1990) |
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| Obverse description | Watermark area at left, central vignette of the Fiji coat of arms within guilloche underprint, and a portrait of King George VI at right. The face carries the issuing authority legend and legal tender clause in letterpress. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Elaborate symmetrical guilloche design in red and blue tones occupies the full field, with the issuing authority inscription 'GOVERNMENT OF FIJI' set within a central cartouche. A large plain circular vignette reserved for the watermark appears at right, and the note bears 'SPECIMEN' overprint in red. |
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| Comments |
Twenty pounds was serious money in colonial Fiji — equivalent to several months' wages for most islanders — and notes of this denomination saw little everyday handling. The series ran across a turbulent stretch: the 1937 dates precede the Pacific war by four years, while the 1943 issue was produced under conditions of acute regional instability, with Japanese forces operating within range of Fijian waters and the islands functioning as a major Allied staging point.
Bradbury Wilkinson printed from their New Malden works, where the firm had been producing colonial currency for decades. The three-signature format — combining the Currency Board's secretary, accountant, and governor — was specific to Fiji's board structure and means that matching all three names correctly to a given date is essential for proper attribution.
Only five distinct signature combinations across fourteen years of issue.