The islands that comprise the Republic of Fiji were first discovered by the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman in 1643, and were visited by Captain Cook in 1774. King Cakobau ceded Fiji to Great Britain on October 10, 1874 when it became a British Crown Colony. Fiji gained self-government in 1965, and independence on October 10, 1970.
The Fiji Dollar, equal in value to the US Dollar, was used in the Kingdom of Fiji until 1874. British Pounds (GBP) were used in Fiji after it became a British colony. British coins were made the sole legal tender in 1881. Australian coins began circulating in 1910, and Fiji introduced its own coins in 1934.
Fiji began to issue Fiji Pound banknotes (FJP) in 1917. The Fiji Dollar (FJD) replaced the Fiji Pound on January 13, 1969 with 1 Fiji Dollar equal to 10 Shillings or 0.5 Fiji Pounds. The Fiji Pound was divisible into 20 Shillings and 240 Pence, and the Fiji Dollar is divisible into 100 Cents. Banknotes were issued by the Government of Fiji until 1987 when the Reserve Bank of Fiji began issuing banknotes. |
