Catalog
5 Dollars
| Issuer | Government of Fiji (Treasury) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1872-1873 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | TREASURY NOTE LEVUKA FIVE DOLLARS N.B. THIS NOTE IS A LEGAL TENDER. AND PAYABLE AT THE TREASURY. The Bearer of this is entitled to receive from the Treasury Levuka FIVE DOLLARS. FIVE TREASURY S. T. Leigh & Co Sydney |
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| Signature(s) | Smith Clarkson Woods |
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| Comments |
Fiji's first government paper money emerged from a chaotic experiment in colonial self-governance. The Kingdom of Fiji — still independent under Cakobau's nominal rule, but practically run by a settler government — issued these notes to address a severe coin shortage among the plantation economy. The treasury was perpetually insolvent, and acceptance was never universal; many traders in Levuka simply refused them.
S. T. Leigh & Co. were primarily commercial printers in Sydney, better known for stationery and books than security printing. The requirement for three separate signatories — Smith, Clarkson, and Woods — reflects how little faith the issuing authority had in any single official's accountability.
Fiji was ceded to Britain in 1874, rendering these notes obsolete within months of their last issue date.