In 1988, Australia celebrated its Bicentenary. It was 200 years since permanent settlement began with the arrival of Captain Arthur Philip with 11 ships in the First Fleet in 1788. To mark this important event, Australia issued a special 10-dollar note. It turned out to be very special indeed. It was the first note in the world using the revolutionary polymer plastic developed by the Reserve Bank of Australia. It moved like paper but had all the durability of plastic. (P49) The front of the note depicts the arrival of the First Fleet and the varied immigrant population that has settled in the intervening 200 years. The back honours Australia’s indigenous population, the Aboriginal people who it is believed settled in Australia over 40,000 years ago. A wonderful note issued over 30 years ago, in an official descriptive folder.
These 20 dollars were issued by Fiji in 1996 (P99) At this time the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was still being used but by 2015, Fiji had decided to drop using her portrait in favour of more local themes. The fronts are dominated by the portrait of Her Majesty alongside a Manusa Bird, flower and canoe masthead. A view of Parliament House is on the back. Crisp Uncirculated and limited availability.
The world's first circulating seven-dollar banknote was issued to commemorate the victory of the Fiji men's rugby sevens team at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. On one side, the note displays an image of team captain and Olympic flag bearer Osea Kolinisau in action with a ball, complemented by a smaller depiction of head coach Ben Ryan seated at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes in Fiji. The other side of the note showcases a photograph of the entire team, proudly wearing their gold medals around their necks. Under ultraviolet light, the medals glow with a golden hue. Additionally, the watermark features Savenaca Rawaca depicted while running with a ball.
In 2016, the Fiji Men’s Rugby Sevens Team won the Gold Medal at the Rio Olympics. Such was the country’s delight, the government authorised a special issue of banknote with the unusual 7-dollar denomination, to honour the team’s success. (P120) In the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, the men’s team returned and won the Gold Medal again with the Fiji Women’s team winning bronze in their category. A special 7-dollar banknote was issued to mark this double victory with one side printed in gold and the other in bronze. (P1NEW). If you haven’t got this pair in your collection- now is the time! We can offer both issues in Crisp Uncirculated. Save when you buy the pair.
A trio of Uncirculated notes issued by Indonesia in 2106. Included are the 2000, 5000 and 10,000 rupiah denominations. This striking group features portraits of important citizens on the front with traditional dancers on the backs. Crisp Uncirculated.
There is much talk as the whether countries, outside of the UK, issuing banknotes with the monarch’s portrait would continue now that Charles is King. Countries like Zealand retained Queen Elizabeth’s portrait on the 20 dollar denomination and we can offer it now. It's a beautiful green banknote showing Her Majesty in a more formal attire, wearing a tiara and a fancy diamond necklace. Crisp Uncirculated and limited availability.
The new plastic 5 dollars issued by New Zealand recently won the International Banknote Society Banknote of the Year (P191). It certainly is a handsome note. It features Sir Edmund Hillary, acknowledged as the first person to climb Mount Everest. Alongside his portrait is a view of Mount Cook, his favourite mountain. A Holho penguin is on the back. Uncirculated award-winning note.
Papua New Guinea has fully embraced polymer banknotes and paper issues have long vanished form circulation. This 10 kina note was first issued in 1980 (P7) The front shows a Bird of Paradise perched on a Kundu drum and ceremonial spear. The back features artefacts including a Tami bowl and Tambu Shell Money. Uncirculated.
In 2019, Western Samoa was host to the 16th Pacific Games. To mark the event a special 10 tala note was issued in polymer . The front has the Games logo and athletes competing in various sports such as weightlifting and rugby. On the back children are shown doing the same sports with makeshift equipment such as coconuts. Uncirculated.
The Solomon Islands issued a new polymer plastic note last year. It was issued to commemorate 40 years of independence.(P-New) The front is printed in vertical format and depicts a man blowing a conch shell The back in a more familiar horizontal format shows a turtle, a diver, and a family in a canoe near the seashore. Uncirculated.
The island nation of Tonga has just released its first notes printed on polymer. This is the 5 pa’anga value which appeared in December 2023. The mauve 5 pa’anga features a portrait of King Tupov VI on the front with a view of the 13th century stone Trilithon, Ha’amonga a Maui on the back. It is in Uncirculated (Unc) condition.
These Half Pa’anga notes were issued by Tonga in 1977. (P18b) They bear the portrait of King Taufa’ahua Tupov IV who succeeded his mother Queen Salote as monarch on her death in 1965. (P18b) He reigned until his death in 2006 and was one of the world’s longest-reigning sovereigns. He was also the tallest and heaviest Tongan monarch, measuring 6ft 5 inches and weighing over 31 stone. The back depicts a familiar Tongan scene with the processing of coconuts. Uncirculated.