Catalog
50 Cents - Elizabeth II
| Issuer | Government of Fiji |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1969-date) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in blue and pink tones, with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at right in three-quarter view, wearing a pearl necklace. The Fijian coat of arms appears as a central vignette flanked by two figures, set above a guilloche underprint, with the denomination '50c' repeated at upper corners. The text 'GOVERNMENT OF FIJI' runs across the top, and a signature of the Chairman of the Currency Board appears below the central design. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | a Fijian profile or ornamental device, visible in the unprinted circular area at left on the obverse. |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Fiji's small-denomination paper issues of this period occupy an awkward position in the colony's monetary history — low enough in face value to see heavy everyday use, but printed on full-weight cotton stock by De La Rue at the same specification as the higher values. Attrition was severe. The 50 Cents note circulated alongside coins of the same value, which Fiji had also introduced, creating a redundancy that shortened the series' active life considerably.
The Barrett/Stinson signature combination is specific to a narrow window within the P#64 issue run. Signatures on Fijian notes of this period reflect the serving Financial Secretary and the Governor of the Reserve Bank — changes in either post produced a new variety, making signature attribution the primary differentiator among otherwise identical notes.