World coins chat: Tonga

4 posts
Tonga is an island nation in the Pacific near Samoa. It has a population of 100,000.

Tonga was first settled by Polynesians around 800 BC. The Dutch were the first Europeans to visit the island in 1616. James Cook visited Tonga on his voyage in the 1770's. In 1845 the Kingdom of Tonga emerged and became a British protectorate in 1900. In 1970 Tonga became a fully independent state.

Currency
The British introduced the British Pound, but local paper money was also issued as Tongan Pounds. From 1910 also Australian Pounds started circulating. In 1936 it was decided to devalue the Tongan Pound in line with the Australian unit to 16 UK Shillings.

In 1967 the Tongan Pound was decimalised for 2 Pa'anga per Pound. The reason that Dollar was not used is that 'tola' in Tongan means 'mouth' and has a vulgar connotation. Kind of reminds to the saying 'put your money where your mouth is'.

The Pa'anga is subdivided in 100 Sene. The peg with the Australian Dollar lasted until 1991. Now the Pa'anga is worth around US$ 0.45 or A$ 0.60.

Coins
Tonga's first coins date from 1967 with Queen Salote Tupou III featuring on the coins. Her reign was from 1918 until her death in 1965 and she was so much respected that the first coinage was devoted to her. From 1968 her successor Tupou IV was depicted on the coins.

In 2015 a new coin series was introduced on Tonga.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/tonga-1.html
Just a correction

Tongan currency is made up of 100 seniti = 1 pa 'anga, sene is Samoa.
Believe me Tongans and Samoans do not like getting confused with each other.


The One Pa'anga coin of the new issue of 2015. This was brass and showed the old king Tupou V (Siaosi Tupou 1948 - 2012).
The other 4 coins 5 to 50 seniti show the current king (Tupou VI - George Uakalolo Tupou) and this was done out of respect to show the previous king, who never had any coins issued with his image on in his reign.
I love coins
Here's my coins from Tonga ( :
Aaro
Tonga is also a British Commonwealth country whose institutions are very much like their British counterparts in some respects.

Aidan.

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