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2 Shillings
| Issuer | Government of Fiji |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Pound (1873-1969) |
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| Obverse description | Plain pinkish paper note with text-based layout arranged within a rectangular frame with indented corners bearing the denomination in numerals. The Colony of Fiji coat of arms appears at top centre, flanked by the denomination expressed in words and figures. The body of the note carries the issuing authority title, legal tender clause, date, and printed signatures of the Commissioners of Currency, with a handwritten serial number applied above. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | GOVERNMENT OF FIJI These Notes are legal Tender for payment of an amount not exceeding Forty Shillings. TWO SHILLINGS For the Government of Fiji. 1st January, 1942. Commissioners of Currency. 2s. COLONY OF FIJI |
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| Comments |
Fiji's wartime fractional currency was authorized under emergency powers after Japanese advances in the Pacific made normal banking operations precarious and coin shortages acute. The 2 Shillings note is part of a small series of low-denomination government issues that replaced coinage temporarily — a stopgap measure that few expected to last as long as it did.
The pinkish paper with overprinted lettering was a deliberate security choice given the limited printing resources available in the colony at the time. These notes circulated hard and survivors in decent condition are genuinely uncommon.