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2 1/2 Dollars
| Issuer | Brewer & Joske, Suva |
|---|---|
| Year | 1871 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Fijian Dollar (1871-1873) |
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| Obverse description | Brown-printed note with the issuer's name 'Brewer & Joske, Suva' rendered in ornate script across the upper portion. A central vignette shows a coastal tropical scene with a sailing vessel, palm trees, and a standing figure. Two circular denomination cartouches reading '2 & 1/2 DOLLARS' are positioned at upper left and upper right, with serial number 3078 below each. The text of the promise to pay is set in a combination of copperplate script and letterpress, reading 'We Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of Two and a half Dollars here Value rec'd Suva the 1st day of October 1871,' with 'TWO & A HALF' in bold block letters across the lower portion. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain unprinted reverse on aged paper stock, exhibiting natural toning, fold lines, and light soiling consistent with circulation wear. No design elements, text, or ornamentation are present. |
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| Comments |
Private banknotes issued by mercantile firms were common in Fiji before formal colonial banking arrived, and Brewer & Joske were among the handful of Suva traders willing to back their own paper. The firm operated as a general merchant and land agency — their notes functioned essentially as promissory instruments, circulating locally on the strength of the issuer's commercial reputation rather than any statutory guarantee.
S. T. Leigh & Co. of Sydney handled a considerable volume of colonial job printing across the Pacific during this period. The denomination itself — two and a half dollars — reflects Fiji's dollar-based currency system in use before British annexation in 1874 formally displaced it with sterling.