Tongan pa'anga
Encyclopedia
The paanga is the currency of the Tonga
. It is controlled by the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (Pangikē Pule Fakafonua o Tonga) in Nukualofa
. The paanga is not convertible and is pegged to a basket of currencies comprising the Australian
, New Zealand
, and United States dollar
s and the Japanese yen
.
The paanga is subdivided into 100 seniti. The ISO code
is TOP, and the usual abbreviation is T$ (¢ for seniti). In Tonga the paanga is often referred to in English as the dollar and the seniti as the cent. There is also the unit of hau (1 hau = 100 paanga) but this is not used in every day life and can only be found on commemorative coins of higher denominations.
phaseoloides, native name paanga, is a bean-like vine producing large pods with large reddish brown seeds. The seeds are roundish, up to 5 cm diameter and 1 or 2 cm thick. When strung together they are used as anklets, part of the kailao
dance costume. They were also used as playing pieces in an ancient disc-throwing game, lafo.
On 1 December 1806 Tongans attacked the passing ship Port-au-Prince in order to take it over. They failed, as the crew sank the vessel. The chief of Haapai
, Fīnau Ulukālala
, resorted to the next plan, plunder what ever was worthwhile. On his inspection tour he found the ship's cash. Not knowing what money was he considered the coins as paanga. Finally, not seeing anything of value, he ordered the remains of the ship to be burned. It was much later that William Mariner
, the only survivor of this attack, told him that those pieces of metal were of great value and not merely playing stones.
When Tonga introduced decimal currency, it decided not to call the main unit the dollar
because the native word, tola, translated into a pig
's snout, the soft end of a coconut
, or, in vulgar language, a mouth
. Pa'anga, on the other hand, translated into money.
Mariner also passed down the following statement of Fīnau Ulukālala:
at a rate of 1 pound = 2 paanga. Until 11 February 1991, the pa'anga was pegged to the Australian dollar at par. Since that time, a basket of currencies is taken (see above) and the paanga has continuously declined. As in 2006, one needs about T$1.60 to get 1 Australian dollar. Official exchange rates are released daily by the National Reserve Bank, established 1 July 1989, but rather towards the end of the day than early in the morning.
Later, 1 and 2 Pa'anga coins were issued with the 1 Pa'anga coins being rectangular. The 2 Pa'anga (depicted on the right) was round. The reverses of both were changed annually to commemorate a different FAO goal or event. However, due to the 2 Pa'anga coin's large size and weight and the 1 Pa'angas awkward shape, they failed to compete against the 1 and 2 Pa'anga notes that were simultaneously issued. They still remain legal tender but are very rarely used. Circulating strikes for both denominations were discontinued after 1981.
Current circulating coins are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 seniti. The one and two seniti coins are becoming less common nowadays, as they lose value due to a yearly inflation of about 11%, and are only readily available for some months after a release by the bank. Total prices in shops are usually rounded to the nearest 5 or 10 seniti, although some shops believe that to round means always to round up.
The first series of coins showed Queen Salote Tupou III, two years after her death. The reverse designs were a giant tortoise on the 1 and 2 seniti, wheat sheaves and stars on the 5 and 10 seniti, and the Tongan coat of arms on the higher denominations. From 1968, the portrait of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
appeared, facing right. Since 1975, all coins have borne the word "Tonga" on the obverse and the inscription "Fakalahi meakai" (Tongan: "Grow more food") and the denomination on the reverse. The King is shown in military uniform looking forwards. Specifications and designs are:
The King is shown facing on the 10 to 50 seniti, under the initials FAO
.
appeared on the notes. ½ paanga notes were issued until 1983, with 20 paanga notes introduced in 1985, followed by 50 paanga in 1988. In 1992, the National Reserve Bank of Tonga
took over production of paper money. On 30 July 2008 a 100 paanga paper issue was introduced
The obverse of the notes features text in the Tongan language
and shows the portrait of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
. The reverse is in English language
and shows typical motives and landmarks of Tonga: the Haamonga a Maui
Trilithon, the royal palace, the Tongan Development Bank, the Port of Vavau
(twice, once as it was around 1900, and the other contemporary), and ngatu
making.
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. It is controlled by the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (Pangikē Pule Fakafonua o Tonga) in Nukualofa
Nukuʻalofa
Nukualofa is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the southern most island group of Tonga.-Mythological origins:...
. The paanga is not convertible and is pegged to a basket of currencies comprising the Australian
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
, New Zealand
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
, and United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
s and the Japanese yen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
.
The paanga is subdivided into 100 seniti. The ISO code
ISO 4217
ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
is TOP, and the usual abbreviation is T$ (¢ for seniti). In Tonga the paanga is often referred to in English as the dollar and the seniti as the cent. There is also the unit of hau (1 hau = 100 paanga) but this is not used in every day life and can only be found on commemorative coins of higher denominations.
Etymology
EntadaEntada
Entada is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamily Mimosoideae. It consists of some 30 species of trees, shrubs and lianas. About 21 species are known from Africa, six from Asia, two from the American tropics and one with a pantropical distribution.-Selected species:*...
phaseoloides, native name paanga, is a bean-like vine producing large pods with large reddish brown seeds. The seeds are roundish, up to 5 cm diameter and 1 or 2 cm thick. When strung together they are used as anklets, part of the kailao
Kailao
The Kailao is a Wallisian war dance imported to Tonga from nearby 'Uvea .-History:It is usually performed at public and private ceremonies. The men, bearing stylized clubs , dance in a fierce manner that emulates fighting, all to the accompaniment of a beaten slit drum or a tin box, which sets the...
dance costume. They were also used as playing pieces in an ancient disc-throwing game, lafo.
On 1 December 1806 Tongans attacked the passing ship Port-au-Prince in order to take it over. They failed, as the crew sank the vessel. The chief of Haapai
Ha'apai
Haapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs and shoals in the central part of the Kingdom of Tonga, with the Tongatapu group to the south and the Vavau group to the north. Seventeen of the Haapai islands are populated....
, Fīnau Ulukālala
Finau 'Ulukalala
Fīnau Ulukālala was a dynasty of 6 important hereditary chiefs from Vavau , currently in the kingdom of Tonga. Started somewhere in the 18th century, died out in 1960...
, resorted to the next plan, plunder what ever was worthwhile. On his inspection tour he found the ship's cash. Not knowing what money was he considered the coins as paanga. Finally, not seeing anything of value, he ordered the remains of the ship to be burned. It was much later that William Mariner
William Mariner (writer)
William Mariner was an Englishman who lived in the Tonga Islands from 29 November 1806 to 8 November 1810. He wrote an account of his experiences, Tonga Islands, that is now one of the major sources of information on pre-Christian Tonga.-Mariner's sojourn in Tonga:William Mariner was a teenage...
, the only survivor of this attack, told him that those pieces of metal were of great value and not merely playing stones.
When Tonga introduced decimal currency, it decided not to call the main unit the dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
because the native word, tola, translated into a pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
's snout, the soft end of a coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
, or, in vulgar language, a mouth
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
. Pa'anga, on the other hand, translated into money.
Mariner also passed down the following statement of Fīnau Ulukālala:
- If money were made of iron and could be converted into knives, axes and chisels there would be some sense in placing a value on it; but as it is, I see none. If a man has more yams than he wants, let him exchange some of them away for pork. [...] Certainly money is much handier and more convenient but then, as it will not spoil by being kept, people will store it up instead of sharing it out as a chief ought to do, and thus become selfish. [...] I understand now very well what it is that makes the papālangi [white men] so selfish — it is this money!
History
The paanga was introduced on 3 April 1967. It replaced the poundTongan pound
The pound was the currency of Tonga until 1967. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.-History:Initially, British currency circulated. This was supplemented, from 1921, by banknotes issued by the Tongan government. The notes were marked as sterling and included the rather unusual 4...
at a rate of 1 pound = 2 paanga. Until 11 February 1991, the pa'anga was pegged to the Australian dollar at par. Since that time, a basket of currencies is taken (see above) and the paanga has continuously declined. As in 2006, one needs about T$1.60 to get 1 Australian dollar. Official exchange rates are released daily by the National Reserve Bank, established 1 July 1989, but rather towards the end of the day than early in the morning.
Coins
In 1967, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 seniti and 1 paanga. The 1 and 2 seniti were struck in bronze with the other denominations in cupro-nickel. The 50 seniti and 1 paanga were only struck in small numbers as these denominations were also issued in note form. In 1974, dodecagonal 50 seniti were introduced but 50 seniti banknotes continued to be issued until 1983.Later, 1 and 2 Pa'anga coins were issued with the 1 Pa'anga coins being rectangular. The 2 Pa'anga (depicted on the right) was round. The reverses of both were changed annually to commemorate a different FAO goal or event. However, due to the 2 Pa'anga coin's large size and weight and the 1 Pa'angas awkward shape, they failed to compete against the 1 and 2 Pa'anga notes that were simultaneously issued. They still remain legal tender but are very rarely used. Circulating strikes for both denominations were discontinued after 1981.
Current circulating coins are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 seniti. The one and two seniti coins are becoming less common nowadays, as they lose value due to a yearly inflation of about 11%, and are only readily available for some months after a release by the bank. Total prices in shops are usually rounded to the nearest 5 or 10 seniti, although some shops believe that to round means always to round up.
The first series of coins showed Queen Salote Tupou III, two years after her death. The reverse designs were a giant tortoise on the 1 and 2 seniti, wheat sheaves and stars on the 5 and 10 seniti, and the Tongan coat of arms on the higher denominations. From 1968, the portrait of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
Tāufaāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, KStJ son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga from the death of his mother in 1965 until his own death in 2006...
appeared, facing right. Since 1975, all coins have borne the word "Tonga" on the obverse and the inscription "Fakalahi meakai" (Tongan: "Grow more food") and the denomination on the reverse. The King is shown in military uniform looking forwards. Specifications and designs are:
| Value | Diameter | Composition | 1975–1979 | 1981- | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obverse | Reverse | Obverse | Reverse | |||
| 1 seniti | 18 mm | Bronze Bronze Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal... |
Maize | Pig | Maize | Vanilla |
| 2 seniti | 21 mm | Marrows | PLANNED FAMILIES FOOD FOR ALL, six people holding hands | Taro | PLANNED FAMILIES FOOD FOR ALL, six people holding hands | |
| 5 seniti | 19 mm | Cupronickel Cupronickel Cupronickel or copper-nickel or "cupernickel" is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. Cupronickel is highly resistant to corrosion in seawater, because its electrode potential is adjusted to be neutral with regard to seawater... |
Chicken with chicks | Chicken with chicks | Coconuts | |
| 10 seniti | 24 mm | King | Cow | King | Bananas | |
| 20 seniti | 29 mm | King | Bee hive | King | Yams | |
| 50 seniti | 32–33 mm | King | Fishes around a vortex | King | Tomatoes |
The King is shown facing on the 10 to 50 seniti, under the initials FAO
Fão
Fão is a town in Esposende Municipality in Portugal....
.
Banknotes
In 1967, notes (bearing the portrait of Queen Salote Tupou III) were introduced by the government in denominations of ½, 1, 2, 5 and 10 paanga. From 1974, the portrait of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IVTaufa'ahau Tupou IV
Tāufaāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, KStJ son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga from the death of his mother in 1965 until his own death in 2006...
appeared on the notes. ½ paanga notes were issued until 1983, with 20 paanga notes introduced in 1985, followed by 50 paanga in 1988. In 1992, the National Reserve Bank of Tonga
National Reserve Bank of Tonga
The National Reserve Bank of Tonga is the central bank of Tonga. The Reserve Bank is responsible for regulating the issue and supply of domestic and international currency, as well as promoting monetary stability and economic development...
took over production of paper money. On 30 July 2008 a 100 paanga paper issue was introduced
The obverse of the notes features text in the Tongan language
Tongan language
Tongan is an Austronesian language spoken in Tonga. It has around 200,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a VSO language.-Related languages:...
and shows the portrait of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
Tāufaāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, KStJ son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga from the death of his mother in 1965 until his own death in 2006...
. The reverse is in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and shows typical motives and landmarks of Tonga: the Haamonga a Maui
Ha'amonga 'a Maui
Haamonga a Maui - is a stone trilithon located in Tonga, in the north of the island of Tongatapu, near the village of Niutōua, in Heketā....
Trilithon, the royal palace, the Tongan Development Bank, the Port of Vavau
Vava'u
Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
(twice, once as it was around 1900, and the other contemporary), and ngatu
Tapa cloth
Tapa cloth is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, but as far afield as Niue, Cook Islands, Futuna, Solomon Islands, Java, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii...
making.