Catalog
5 Cents - Elizabeth II 2nd portrait, Silver Proof Issue
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Fiji |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.28 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central motif depicts a traditional Fijian tanoa (kava bowl), a low, round ceremonial vessel with a single outrigger-style leg, rendered in relief against a polished proof field. The numeral 5 appears prominently in the upper portion of the field, with the word CENTS inscribed in the lower portion in capital letters. A toothed or beaded border encircles the design, enhancing the formal proof presentation. The composition is clean and uncluttered, consistent with Ken Payne's design style for Fijian decimal coinage. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Fiji's 1976 proof coinage was struck to coincide with the country's decade of independence from Britain, achieved in October 1970. The Royal Mint produced these silver proofs for collector sets rather than circulation, a common arrangement for Commonwealth nations seeking both foreign exchange revenue and philatelic-numismatic goodwill in the 1970s. Machin's second portrait of Elizabeth II, introduced across Commonwealth issues from 1966, was already a decade old by this striking.