1 Paʻanga 1977, Tonga
| in Krause book | Number: 19c |
| Years of issue: | 09.03.1977 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Treasurer: Selwyn P. Jones, Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake (Prime Minister of Tonga, in office 16 December 1965 – 22 August 1991), Accountant General: Sione Tapa |
| Serie: | 1973-1989 "King Taufa'ahau" Issue |
| Specimen of: | 1974 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 150 х 70 |
| Printer: | TDLR (Thomas de la Rue & Company), London |
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Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006), 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.
Immediately prior to his death, he was the fourth longest-reigning living monarch in the world after Kings Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Abdul Halim of Kedah of Malaysia and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
He was married to Queen Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe (1926-2017), and the couple had four children:
Prince Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou, while as Crown Prince, better known by the hereditary title: Tupoutoʻa (once his father did not need it any longer). He succeeded him later as George Tupou V.
Princess Royal Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu Tuita (born Tukuʻaho in 1951). The Honourable Lady Tuita by marriage.
Prince Fatafehi ʻAlaivahamamaʻo Tukuʻaho (stripped of his title after marrying a commoner, later bestowed with the hereditary title of Māʻatu. Born in 1953, deceased in 2004). He married his first wife Heimataura Seiloni, 21 July 1980 and died of cancer in Nuku'alofa, 19 September 1985. She was the daughter of Chief Matagialalua Tavana Salmon Anderson of Tahiti and Tongan singer and songwriter, Tu'imala Kaho. Lord Ma'atu then married Alaile'ula Poutasi Jungblut, 11 July 1989. Hon. Alaile'ula, is the daughter of Melvin Jungblut and his wife Lola Tosi Malietoa who is the daughter of the former head of state of Samoa Malietoa Tanumafili II. Lord Ma'atu and Dowager Lady Ma'atu have four children. Their second son Hon. Sione Ikamafana Tuku'aho was adopted by his paternal Aunty, Princess Royal, Princess Pilolevu Tuita.
Prince ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho better known by his traditional titles: Tupoutoʻa Lavaka (until the death of his father known as: ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata). As his elder brother died without legitimate issue, he became King Tupou VI in 2012. Born in 1959.
The King's full baptismal name was Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi, but he was soon better known by the traditional title reserved for Crown Princes: Tupoutoʻa (bestowed in 1937), later replaced by the title he inherited from his father: Tungī (or using both: Tupoutoʻa-Tungī, in that time written as Tuboutoʻa-Tugi). He kept the Tungī title until his death. From a traditional point of view he was not only the Tungī, which is the direct descendant from the Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua, but he was also, on becoming king, the 22nd Tuʻi Kanokupolu. The link with the Tuʻi Tonga, was more indirect. He was not a Tuʻi Tonga too (as that office has gone over into the Kalaniuvalu line), but his grandmother Lavinia Veiongo (wife of George Tupou II) was the great-granddaughter of Laufilitonga, the last Tuʻi Tonga, and his wife Halaevalu Mataʻaho (not to be confused with the King's wife of the same name and same family), who was the daughter of Tupou ʻAhomeʻe, who was the daughter of Lātūfuipeka, the Tamahā (sister of the Tuʻi Tonga). By consequence, the King's daughter, Pilolevu, was the first woman in Tongan culture to really have the blood of the three major Royal dynasties in her veins and become the highest-ranking person ever.
The King was a keen sportsman and religious preacher in his youth. He was educated at Newington College and studied Law at Sydney University while resident at Wesley College in Sydney, Australia. He was appointed Minister of Education by Queen Sālote in 1943, Minister of Health in 1944, and in 1949, Premier. He remained a lay preacher of the Free Wesleyan Church until his death, and in some circumstances, was empowered to appoint an acting church president. In the 1970s, he was the heaviest monarch in the world, weighing in at over 200 kg. (440 pounds or 31 stone). For his visits to Germany, the German Government used to commission special chairs that could support his weight. The King used to take them home, considering them as state presents. In the 1990s, he took part in a national fitness campaign, losing a third of his weight.
The King was also very tall, standing 6 ft 5 in. (1.96 m.). Shoemaker Per-Enok Kero reported that "He weighed 180 kilos and had shoe size 47 in. length and 52 in. breadth."
He wielded great political authority and influence in Tonga's essentially aristocratic system of government, together with the country's nobles, who control 70% of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga. His involvement in an investment scandal, however, involving his appointed court jester Jesse Bogdonoff, had in his last years embroiled the King in controversy, and led to calls for greater government transparency and democratisation. In 2005, the government spent several weeks negotiating with striking civil service workers before reaching a settlement. The king's nephew, Tuʻi Pelehake (ʻUluvalu), served as mediator. A constitutional commission presented a series of recommendations for constitutional reform to the King a few weeks before his death.
On 15 August 2006, Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele interrupted radio and television broadcasts to announce that the King was gravely ill in the Mercy Hospital in Auckland and to ask the 104,000 people of the island chain to pray for their King, He died 26 days later, at 23:34 on 10 September 2006[5] (New Zealand time: it was just after midnight on 11 September in Tongan time). He was 88 and had reigned for 41 years.
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV was buried on 19 September 2006 at Malaʻe Kula (the Royal cemetery) in the Tongan capital, Nukuʻalofa. Thousands of Tongans watched the funeral and mourners included many foreign dignitaries, including Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, Vanuatu president Kalkot Mataskelekele, the American Samoan Governor Togiola Tulafono, Niue Premier Vivian Young, and the Duke of Gloucester, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. The funeral blended Christian and ancient Polynesian burial rites. The funeral was overseen by the Royal undertaker Lauaki and his men of the Haʻatufunga (clan), also known as the nima tapu (sacred hands).
According to the International Herald Tribune, "Tupou IV's 41-year reign made him one of the world's longest-serving sovereigns", after Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej; Queen Elizabeth II, as queen of Australia, Barbados, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, specifically; and Samoa's head of state, Malietoa Tanumafili II. 
In lower left corner is the coat of arms of Tonga.
It was designed in 1875 with the creation of the constitution.
The three swords represent the three dynasties or lines of the kings of Tonga, namely the Tuʻi Tonga, Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua and the current Tuʻi Kanokupolu). Tonga was united under King Siaosi Tupou I, who then orchestrated the formation of the first formal government and also the coat of arms. The dove with the olive branch symbolizes the wish of God's peace to reign in Tonga forever (the dove and olive branch are taken from the story of Noah and the Great Flood in the Bible). The three stars symbolize the main island groups of Tonga, which are Tongatapu, Vavaʻu and Haʻapai. The Crown symbolizes the ruling monarchy, the King of Tonga. The text on the scroll at the bottom reads "Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku Tofiʻa" in the Tongan language: "God and Tonga are my inheritance".
There is no official specification of how exactly the arms should look. Even the shield on the front gate of the late king's palace is different from the old black/white copy used by the (ex-) government printer on all official stationery, is different from the copy on the prime minister's office webpage, etc. Some have pointed crowns, some rounded; some have normal flags, others have flags looking more like banners; some use the modern orthography, some the old (Ko e Otua mo Toga ko hoku Tofia); some have black swords, others white; and so forth.
Denominations in numerals are in lower left and top right corners. Centered, on top and at bottom - in words.
Revers:
Big rosette (pattern)is on right side.
The banknote, presumably, shows a landscape from the island group of Vavaʻu, from the town of Neiafu (located on it).
Neiafu is the second largest port of Tonga and the administrative center of the island group of Vavaʻu. For a visit to Neiafu, you can recommend only the Sailoam market and the city harbor, which is filled with yachts in winter. In the period from May to October, the yachting season officially opens on the Vavaʻu Islands. It is no coincidence that this place has become one of the most famous yachting destinations: on the south side, the island of Vava'u is bordered by many coral islands, and the lagoons formed by the islands are the best suited for boat trips. On yachts you can go to secluded sandy beaches or go to the caves, which are famous for the islands of Vavaʻu. Numerous caves are suitable not only for swimming or snorkelling, but also for diving. The walls of these caves are covered with multi-colored soft corals, among which the most unusual fish live. The most famous caves suitable for diving are located on the island of Tuungasika, the island of Eucaf, atoll Nuapapu and the island of Cap. Among divers, the bay of the capital Neyafu is also known, where since 1927 the cargo ship "Clan MacWilliam" has been resting. The ship has a length of 128 meters and is located at a depth of 22 meters. This is a great place for wreck diving.
It is also worth going to the National Park of Mount Talau, towering on the island of Vavaʻu. Mount Talau has a height of 131 m. A hiking trail leads to its peak, the journey takes 45 minutes. The park is home to a rare stone lizard and many flying foxes. No less interesting are the nearby botanical gardens of Eneyio, where more than 500 species of plants are represented.
Humpback whales appear annually in the winter from July to November in the waters surrounding the Vavaʻu Islands. They come here from Antarctica for mating. In Neiafu you will find many agencies that offer you to go to sea in order to observe whales. For this, excursions are offered on boats, catamarans, boats, yachts or canoes or walking tours along the rocky eastern coasts. During a sea excursion, you can not only see whales, but also swim with a mask near them. It is worth remembering that to go to sea to whales should only be accompanied by a guide accredited by the Ministry of Fish Resources. You can’t dive near whales, but you can swim or snorkel at a distance of 30 meters from them.
You can also go fishing in the Vavaʻu Islands. In coastal waters, large fish such as barracudas, marlins, sailfish, dorado and tuna live. Every year in September, the International Tongan Fishing Tournament is held on Vavaʻu Island.
On right and left sides are the coconut palms (Cōcos nucifēra).
The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family).
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, botanically, is a drupe, not a nut. The spelling cocoanut is an archaic form of the word. The term is derived from the XIV century Portuguese and Spanish word coco meaning "head" or "skull", from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.
The coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many uses of its different parts and found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are part of the daily diets of many people. Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain a large quantity of "water" and when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for drinking. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seednuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and coir from the fibrous husk. The endosperm is initially in its nuclear phase suspended within the coconut water. As development continues, cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the coconut, becoming the edible coconut "flesh". When dried, the coconut flesh is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is potable. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. The coconut also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.
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