Catalog
| Issuer | National Reserve Bank of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 150 × 70 mm |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse, in matching light green and yellow, presents a vignette of the Saint George Government Building as its central motif, surrounded by bilingual English and Tongan inscriptions. A windowed security thread is embedded vertically through the note. The overall layout is complemented by decorative guilloche underprint work. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | King Tupou VI, electrotype NRBT, and Cornerstones; windowed security thread embedded in the paper. |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Tonga's shift to a 50 Pa'anga denomination in the current De La Rue series reflects the Kingdom's ongoing effort to rationalize its currency stack against persistent inflation — the Pa'anga has lost considerable purchasing power since it was first issued in 1967 following the replacement of the Tongan pound at par. Cotton substrate with watermark and thread is unremarkable for De La Rue production of this period, but the 2023 date places this note in the post-COVID economic recovery window, when several Pacific island nations renegotiated their currency printing contracts.
TBB#229 is among the more recently catalogued entries in the Tonga series; secondary market data on this specific issue remains thin.