Tonga’s first decimal bronze: the 1967 1 seniti — Queen Salote Tupou III on the obverse, a giant tortoise on the reverse, from the pa’anga’s first year.
History
- Part of the 1967 first decimal coinage that introduced the pa’anga at £1 = T$2.
- The 1 and 2 seniti were struck in bronze; all higher denominations were cupro-nickel.
- Obverse: Queen Salote Tupou III, shown two years after her death. Reverse: a giant tortoise.
Key dates & varieties
- 1967 Salote type; from 1968 the portrait changed to Taufa’ahau Tupou IV.
Specifications
- Bronze; small-module decimal bronze of the 1967 series.
Collector notes
- First-year-of-decimal premium — this is the coin that opened the pa’anga era.
- The Salote portrait appears only on the transition types; later series show Taufa’ahau Tupou IV.