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1 Pound
| Issuer | Government of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1937-1938 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#7 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ONE POUND GOVERNMENT OF TONGA TREASURY NOTE THESE NOTES ARE LEGAL TENDER ONE POUND FOR THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT 21st April, 1937. ONE POUND |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | ONE £1 |
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| Comments |
Tonga's currency in this period operated under an unusual arrangement: the Government of Tonga issued notes directly, bypassing a central bank entirely, a structure that persisted for decades. The 1937–1938 issue was part of a small series produced by De La Rue at a time when the Kingdom remained a British Protected State — technically sovereign, yet with its external relations managed from London. That political ambiguity is quietly embedded in the note's existence.
P#7 is scarce in any grade. The combination of low print run, Pacific Island circulation conditions, and the disruptions of the Second World War that followed almost immediately accounts for the attrition.