Fiji is a country in the South Pacific. It is an archipelago of more than 300 islands, famed for rugged landscapes, palm-lined beaches and coral reefs with clear lagoons. Its major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, contain most of the country’s population. Viti Levu is home to the capital, Suva, a port city with British colonial architecture. The Fiji Museum, in the Victorian-era Thurston Gardens, has ethnographic exhibits.

Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific - thanks to its abundant forest, mineral, and fish resources. The pound was the currency of Fiji between 1873 and 1969. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.

From its earliest days as a British colony, British sterling coinage circulated in Fiji, supplemented by locally produced paper money. In 1969, the Fijian pound was replaced by the Fijian dollar.

Today we are discussing a 5 shillings banknote of 1942. The obverse depicts the Portrait of King George VI to right; Coat of arms to center; and the reverse has “Government of Fiji” written within an ornamental pattern. This grey and yellow note has a Fijian man's head as the watermark.

Image Courtesy: Coins and Banknotes Internationa