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5 Shillings
| Issuer | Government of Fiji |
|---|---|
| Year | 1957-1965 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | 1969 |
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| Obverse description | An intaglio-printed portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in right-facing three-quarter view is set within a circular guilloche frame at the right, printed in green and mauve tones over an intricate lathe-work underprint that fills the entire field. To the left, a large blank oval reserve serves as the watermark area, flanked by the denomination numerals '5/-' in each corner. The centre bears the bold legend 'GOVERNMENT OF FIJI' above 'THESE NOTES ARE LEGAL TENDER FOR THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT' and the large denomination text 'FIVE SHILLINGS', with the issue date and three manuscript signatures of the Commissioners of Currency below. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | Watermark visible in the blank oval reserve on the left side of the obverse |
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| Comments |
Fiji retained the pound sterling system well into the postwar decades, and this note circulated through a colonial economy still largely dependent on sugar revenue and indentured-labor demographics that shaped Fijian politics long after formal indenture ended in 1920. The five-shilling denomination sat awkwardly between small change and meaningful purchasing power — useful enough to circulate hard, which is why worn examples dominate the market.
Five signature combinations across eight years reflects genuine administrative turnover in the Currency Board rather than reissue events. Griffiths appears across all five dates, anchoring the series as the one constant signatory through the full run to independence-era monetary reform.