Here is my first set of specimen notes issued by the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (NRBT). I have another set of specimen notes from Tonga but these notes were issued by the Government of Tonga and were issued as a joint venture with the Franklin Mints as a numismatic product in 1978. NRBT was not established until 1989. The notes posted here were the first series ever issued under the authority of NRBT and these notes belonged to the 1992 series.
The signatures printed on these notes belong to:-
Prime Minister - Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake (tenure 1965-1991)
Minister of Finance - James Cecil Cocker (tenure 1982-1991)
Based on the above signatures, these are the only four notes issued, however there are other notes also issued but do not have the same signatures. A reprint of the 10 pa'anga was later issued and a 20 pa'anga was also introduced but with a different Prime Minister's signature. It should also be noted that there are not many banknotes issued by central banks that bear the signature of a Prime Minister. Most banks would only have just the signature of the Governor or the Governor together with the Minister of Finance/Secretary.
As specimen notes, each note is printed with the word 'SPECIMEN' in capital letter diagonally on the front and back in black. These are official specimen notes, usually issued to financial institutions in the country. The Tongan Pa'anga currency is generally not negotiable outside the country or exchangeable and for this reason I wonder if such specimen notes were also distributed overseas. It would not serve the purpose if they are not convertible outside the territory of Tonga. One can assume the inconvenience for the locals when travelling overseas is that you have to convert your local money to a foreign one.
None of these notes are dated and unlike later issues, this series is printed mainly with just two main colours. All notes are printed with the word 'Specimen' diagonally in red in the front and back. This series is generally considered as C series as all prefixes are printed with C over 1 (C/1). I do not believe the notes are printed with any watermarks either.
Tonga is a country situated in the Pacific consisting of 171 islands with 45 uninhabited. The official name is the Kingdom of Tonga with the King as its Head of State. Tonga is a constitutional Monarchy and the power of the King is limited by its constitution and laws. The monarchy has a long history dating back over 1000 years and its current constitution was established in 1875. Since 1845, the Kingdom has had only 6 monarchs. Of the previous 5, King George Tupou I was the longest serving king, reigned from 1845 to 1893, a total of 48 years. He only served one year longer than Queen Salote Tupou III (b.1900-1965). Queen Salote Tupou III was the Queen of Tonga from 1918 to 1965 (reigned 47 years).
One Pa'anga
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| 150.5mm x 70.5mm |
Front - Portrait of King Taufa'ahau Topou IV (b.1918-2006). King Taufa'ahau Topou IV (born Siaosi Taufa'ahau Tupoulahi) was crowned King of Tonga in 1965, following the death of his mother, Queen Salote Tupoulll (born Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu), who ruled Tonga for 48 years from 1918 to 1965. At the time of his accession to the Tongan throne, he was 47 years old. Coronation was held two years later on 04.07.1967. He died at the age of 88 years old and was succeeded by his eldest son, King George Tupou V.
Back - View of a coastal town. It is not sure if this is actually related to an actual town or location or simply just an artist's impression. I cannot be sure if this is an aerial view of a river scene of Port of Vava'u as some have reported. Some banknote websites have stated that but some just mentioned the scene as a coastal town. I am not surprised if this is actually related to a coastal town in Tonga. Vava'u is a group of islands in Tonga and is famous for its stunning natural beauty, particularly it's clear waters, pristine coral reefs and diverse marine life. It is also a popular destination for sailing and humpback whales watching.
Two Pa'anga
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| 151mm x 70.5mm |
Back - Scene of a group of women sitting on the ground making Tapa (Ngatu) cloth. The Ngatu is a traditional textile made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree. It is a significant cultural item in Tonga, and they are used in ceremonies, gift-giving, and as a display of wealth. The cloth is created through a process of beating, soaking, and gluing strips of bark, followed by intricate painting and dyeing. Countries in the Pacific region also used them, like Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands. French Polynesia and Fiji. In the background is a native hut called fale.
Five Pa'anga
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| 150.5mm x 70.5mm |
Back - Ha'amonga stone gateway or Ha'amonga 'a Maui is a stone structure with two vertical large stones supporting a third stone on the top. This Ha'amonga 'a Maui is situated on the island of Tongatapu. Standing next to the structure is a man/woman. This gives you some ideas how big this structure is. It is believed that this structure was built by King Tu'itatui in the 13th century in honour of his sons.
Ten Pa'anga
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| 150.5mm x 70.5mm |
Back - Royal Palace situated in Nuku'Alofa, the capital city of Tonga. This wooden palace was built in 1867 and is located only a short distance from the Pacific ocean. The palace is the official residence of the King of Tonga. Whilst the Palace is not open to the public, it can be viewed from the waterfront and also from the main entrance separated by the gate. This gate was added to the property in the early 2000s after some people driving on lorries/trucks invaded the palace's compound.
