Coinage of Tonga

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Map of Tonga

Map of Tonga and its neighbours

From Wikipedia:

Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is a Polynesian country and archipelago comprising 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited. The total surface area is about 750 square kilometres (290 sq mi) scattered over 700,000 square kilometres (270,000 sq mi) of the southern Pacific Ocean. The sovereign state has a population of 100,651 people, of whom 70% reside on the main island of Tongatapu.

Tonga stretches across approximately 800 kilometres (500 mi) in a north-south line. It is surrounded by Fiji and Wallis and Futuna (France) to the northwest, Samoa to the northeast, Niue to the east (which is the nearest foreign territory), Kermadec (part of New Zealand) to the southwest, and New Caledonia (France) and Vanuatu to the farther west. It is about 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi) from New Zealand's North Island.

Tonga became known in the West as the "Friendly Islands" because of the congenial reception accorded to Captain James Cook on his first visit in 1773. He arrived at the time of the ʻinasi festival, the yearly donation of the First Fruits to the Tuʻi Tonga (the islands' paramount chief) and so received an invitation to the festivities. According to the writer William Mariner, the chiefs wanted to kill Cook during the gathering but could not agree on a plan.

From 1900 to 1970, Tonga had British protected state status, with the United Kingdom looking after its foreign affairs under a Treaty of Friendship. The country never relinquished its sovereignty to any foreign power. In 2010, Tonga took a decisive path towards becoming a constitutional monarchy rather than a traditional absolute kingdom, after legislative reforms passed a course for the first partial representative elections.

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Coat of arms of Tonga

From Wikipedia:

The coat of arms or national seal of Tonga was designed in 1875 with the creation of the constitution. The three swords represent the three dynasties of the kings of Tonga. Tonga was united under King Siaosi Tupou I, who then orchestrated the formation of the first formal government and also the coat of arms. The dove with the olive branch symbolises the wish of God's peace to reign in Tonga forever (the dove and olive branch are taken from the story of Noah and the Great Flood in the Bible). The three stars symbolise the main island groups of Tonga, which are Tongatapu, Vavaʻu and Haʻapai. The Crown symbolises the ruling monarchy, the King of Tonga. The text on the scroll at the bottom reads Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku Tofiʻa in the Tongan language: 'God and Tonga are my inheritance'.

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Flag of Tonga

From Wikipedia:

The flag of Tonga consists of a red field with a white canton charged with a red couped cross. Adopted in 1875 after being officially enshrined into the nation's constitution, it has been the flag of the Kingdom of Tonga since that year. The constitution stipulates that the national flag can never be changed.

The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The red couped cross alludes to Christianity, the religion practised by approximately 97% of the country's population. The white epitomises purity, while the red evokes the sacrifice of the Blood of Christ, which he shed during his Crucifixion.

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Gold coins of 1962.

Tonga issued its first coins in 1962. However, these were gold bullion coins - with a small number also minted in platinum - and were intended for collectors only, and they did not circulate. Nonetheless, they are important, because the designs show the reigning monarch and the national seal, two features that would appear recurrently on the future circulation coinage.

The coins were denominated in koula. At the time, there were 16 koula to the pound sterling. The obverse of the coins shows Sālote Tupou III (born Sālote Mafile'o Pilolevu; 13 March 1900 – 16 December 1965), the first Queen regnant and third Monarch of the Kingdom of Tonga from 1918 to her death in 1965. The 1 koula design shows her standing. She was a very tall woman, 1.91 metres in height (6 feet 3 inches).

According to the Royal Mint Annual Report of 1963, the designs were the work of American artist and sculptor, Dudley Moore Blakely.

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Queen Salote in her coronation robe.

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INTRODUCTION OF THE PA'ANGA

From Wikipedia:

The paʻanga was introduced on 3 April 1967. It replaced the pound at a rate of 1 pound = 2 paʻanga. Until 11 February 1991, the pa'anga was pegged to the Australian dollar at par.

In 1967, circulating coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 seniti and 1 and 2 paʻanga. The 1 and 2 seniti were struck in bronze with the other denominations in cupro-nickel. The 50 seniti, 1, and 2 paʻanga were only struck in small numbers as these denominations were also issued in note form.

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Common obverse of the 1967 coins.

The obverse featured a portrait of the late Queen Salote.

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Reverse of the 1 seniti coin.

The design featured Tu'i Malila, a radiated tortoise (Geochelone radiata).

Captain Cook had given the tortoise to the Tongan Royal Family in 1777.

The tortoise lived to a ripe old age and died in 1965.

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Reverse of the 2 seniti coin.

This design also featured Tu'i Malila.

RELATED TOPICS

Animals: known individuals and models

Turtles and tortoises on coins

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Obverse of the 2 seniti coin.

Here is the Queen's portrait shown on the bronze 2 seniti coin.

The 1 seniti coin was also minted in bronze.

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Reverse of the 5 seniti coin.

The copper-nickel 5 seniti coin.

Four stars surround the denomination.

They represent the Southern Cross constellation.

They are flanked by two sprays of leaves.

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Reverse of the 10 seniti coin.

A similar design was used for the copper-nickel 10 seniti reverse.

Several other countries of Oceania use the Southern Cross symbol.

It appears on their flags and coats of arms.

See:  Australasia and Oceania: The Southern Cross and Other Stars.

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Reverse of the 20 seniti coin.

The copper-nickel 20 seniti reverse featured the national seal.

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Reverse of the 50 seniti coin.

The copper-nickel 50 seniti reverse also featured the national seal.

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Reverse of the 1 pa'anga coin.

And the copper-nickel 1 pa'anga reverse also featured the national seal.

The 1 pa'anga coin was the highest denomination of the 1967 set.

It weighed 28.3 grams and was 38.5 mm in diameter.