Coinage of Tonga

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Tonga: 1, 2 and 5 seniti.

Which of the 1975 thematic designs were retained for the 1981 set?

They were the 1, 2 and 5 seniti designs, seen above.

The 1981 designs were retained until the new series was issued in 2015.

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METAL CHANGES OF 2002

The 5, 10, 20 and 50 seniti coins had all been minted in copper-nickel.

From 2002 they were minted in nickel-plated steel instead.


The move was made to reduce costs in the production of the coins.

The weight of the coins was also slightly reduced.

However, they remained the same approximate size as before.

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ACCESSION OF KING GEORGE TUPOU V



King George Tupou V.

King Tupou IV died on 10 September 2006.

He was 88 years old and had reigned for 41 years.

His 58-year-old son then became King George Tupou V.

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ANOMALOUS ISSUES OF 2011

In 2011 there was considerable commercial demand for the 20 and 50 seniti coins.

This prompted these denominations to be issued featuring the effigy of Tupou IV.

King Tupou IV had died in 2006, but these coins were issued with the date 2011.


A portrait of George Tupou V had not been prepared at that time.

This was possibly due to increased concerns about the king's health.

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ACCESSION OF KING TUPOU VI



King Tupou VI.

King George Tupou V died aged 63 on 18 March 2012.

His younger brother, aged 52, then became King Tupou VI.

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ANALYSIS OF TONGA'S PRE-2015 COINAGE

Tonga issued its first circulation coinage in 1967.

It issued another series in 1968.


Essentially the 1967 and 1968 series were the same series.

Only the monarch's portrait was changed.

Tupou IV's portrait replaced that of Queen Salote.

The 1968 series added a regular circulation 2 pa'anga  coin.

It was very large, having a diameter of 45 mm.

The 1 pa'anga circulation coin was already very large.

That coin had a diameter of 38.7 mm.


Circulation coins worldwide were generally larger in those days.

Still, their diameter rarely exceeded 31 mm.

However, most Tongan coins were rather large.

The reason was quite simple.

Tonga had modelled its coinage on the Australian coinage.

Australia did not significantly reduce its coin sizes upon decimalisation.

To this day, Australia has not reduced its large 20 and 50 cent sizes.


In 1974 Tonga changed its 50 cents coin to a twelve-sided shape.

It was clearly modelled on the Australian 50 cents coin.

Tonga discontinued its large 2 pa'anga coin after 1974.

It then issued two new coin series in short order.

New coin series were issued in 1975 and 1981.


The large 1 pa'anga coin was discontinued after 1981.

However, the 50 seniti coin was still very large at 34.5 mm.

The reverse designs of the pre-1975 sets were rather dull.

The designs did not gel well at all.

Each design was also shared by two to four coins.


The reverses of the 1975 and 1981 sets were much improved.

Each reverse had a different thematic design.

So did the obverses of the 1, 2, and 5 seniti coins.

These modern designs had great collector appeal.

The 1975 and 1981 sets both had FAO-themed designs.

F.A.O. stands for Food and Agricultural Organization.

It is a United Nations body.


FAO-themed circulation coins were fashionable in the 1970s.

They were not usually issued in "first world" countries.

They were far less common after the 1980s.

As early as the 1990s, Tonga's coins looked old-fashioned.

Their large sizes and FAO themes were distinctly unmodern.

The next change came very late, in 2015.

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NEW COIN SERIES OF 2015

In 1981 Tonga issued a new coin series.

It carried a portrait of King Tupou VI.

This series was the first to do so.


All the reverse designs were new.

There were no longer any FAO-themed designs.


The coins were significantly smaller and lighter.

The lowest denomination was now the 5 seniti coin.

The 5, 10, 20 and 50 seniti coins were all changed.

They were no longer made of copper-nickel.

They were now minted in nickel-plated steel.

This reduced the cost of the coins considerably.


A 1 pa'anga coin was again added to the series.

The coin was made of aluminium-bronze.

It was a regular circulation coin.

It was the first since the 1970s.


The coins were now all uniformly round.

The 50 cents coin was no longer 12-sided.

The coins had now all been radically updated.

This was now a modern coinage in every respect.

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Obverse of the 5 seniti coin of 2015.

The 5 seniti coin is made of nickel-plated steel.

It weighs 2.3 grams and has a diameter of 17 mm.


The obverse features a portrait of King Tupou VI.

This was his first portrait on the circulation coinage.

He had become king in 2012.

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Reverse of the 5 seniti coin of 2015.

The reverse design features a heilala flower.

Its scientific name is Garcinia sessilis.

It is Tonga's national flower.

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The heilala flower.

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Reverse of the 10 seniti coin of 2015.

The 10 seniti coin is made of nickel-plated steel.

It weighs 2.8 grams and has a diameter of 19 mm.


The reverse design features two Tongan megapodes.

Its scientific name is Megapodius pritchardii.


The obverse features the portrait of King Tupou VI.

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Tongan megapode (Megapodius pritchardii).

From Wikipedia:

The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large, chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name literally means "large foot" and is a reference to the heavy legs and feet typical of these terrestrial birds. All are browsers and mostly occupy wooded habitats. Most are brown or black in colour. Megapodes are superprecocial, hatching from their eggs in the most mature condition of any bird. They hatch with open eyes, bodily coordination and strength, full wing feathers, and downy body feathers. They are able to run, pursue prey, and in some species, fly on the same day they hatch.

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Reverse of the 20 seniti coin of 2015.

The 20 seniti coin is made of nickel-plated steel.

It weighs 3.65 grams and has a diameter of 21 mm.


The reverse design features a catamaran.


The obverse features the portrait of King Tupou VI.

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Reverse of the 50 seniti coin of 2015.

The 50 seniti coin is made of nickel-plated steel.

It weighs 5.5 grams and has a diameter of 24 mm.


The reverse design features the Milolua.

This is a ceremonial kava-making dance.

It is performed for the King.


Princess Angelika Latufuipeka Tuku'aho is depicted here.

She is the daughter of King Tupou VI.


The obverse features the portrait of King Tupou VI.

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Obverse of the 1 pa'anga coin of 2015.

The 1 pa'anga is the highest denomination of the series.

The coin is made of aluminium-bronze.

It weighs 7 grams and has a diameter of 24 mm.


The obverse features a portrait of the late King Tupou V.

This is his first portrait on the circulation coinage.

He reigned from 2006 until his death in 2012.