2 Dollars 2007, Fiji
| in Krause book | Number: 109a |
| Years of issue: | 10.04.2007 |
| Edition: | 24 314 212 |
| Signatures: | Governor Reserve Bank of Fiji: Mr. Savenaca Narube |
| Serie: | 2007 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 2007 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 132 х 67 |
| Printer: | De la Rue currency,Loughton |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
The head of native Fijian man. Cornerstones. Denomination 2.
Avers:
HM The Queen Elizabeth II.
This portrait of Her Majesty is adapted from a photograph, taken in Sandringham House by Mark Lawrence in 1999. (Peter Symes)
Her Majesty is shown wearing The Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia's Tiara.
The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara.
No tiara is complete without a fascinating backstory, and this one's even got a daring escape. Made by Bolin, it glittered at the Russian royal court on the head of Grand Duchess Vladimir until the revolution, when it was left behind as the family fled. A British agent and friend smuggled it out of Russia to rejoin the exiled Grand Duchess and her collection. After her death, the tiara was bought from her daughter by Queen Mary. It's worn often today by the Queen with pearl or emerald drops, or occasionally with no drops. The pearl drop option has been the most popular with the Queen in recent years, probably owing to her love of white gowns in the evening and accompanying white jewels.
This tiara was inherited by the Grand Duchess's daughter, the Grand Duchess Helen who subsequently married Prince Nicholas of Greece. Queen Mary bought the tiara from Princess Nicholas in 1921. The tiara has fifteen pearl drops but Princess Mary had fifteen emeralds mounted in such a way that they are interchangeable with the pearls. In this illustration, Her Majesty is wearing the tiara with the pearl drops.
Also on Her Majesty is The Diamond Chandelier Drop Demi-Parure.
A matched set of a necklace and a pair of earrings, this demi-parure is made of diamonds in multiple intricate pendants, each tipped with a pear-shaped diamond drop. Its provenance has not been officially confirmed, but it certainly has the look of a gift from one of the Middle Eastern rulers, and the Queen did wear it during a 1987 state visit from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. (I am using a name that refers to its complicated pendant structure, since the gift is not confirmed).
The Queen has used this set fairly often, even for some official portraits. It is a slightly more grand option than pieces such as the King Khalid Diamond Necklace (very similar, and a confirmed Saudi gift), the Diamond Pear-Shaped Pendant Fringe Necklace, or the King Faisal Diamond Necklace (another confirmed Saudi gift). "From her Majesty's Jewel vault".
Domodomo (canoe masthead) as registration device.
The larger, massive domodomo (horned masthead) comes from the last ocean going double hulled canoe, called the Ramarama, a final link in a chain of great drua of the same name, built for the Tui Cakau by his mataitoga, the descendants of a clan of Samoan canoe builders (the Lemaki) who were brought to Fiji from Tonga in the late 1700s. The final Ramarama was built between 1872 and 1877, drua of her size and quality generally being under construction for 5-7 years. On completion she was presented by the Tui Cakau to Ratu Seru Cakobau, Vunivalu of Bau. After Ratu Cakobau’s death in 1883 she was returned to Somosomo where she finally decayed and was broken up in 1892. The main hull of the Ramarama was 30.2 meters long, the total length of the mast 19.8 meters and this domodomo is 4.3 meters long.
The smaller domodomo is about 2 meters long and would have come from a drua or camakau about 15 meters long. The hardwood Intsia bijuga (vesi) masthead was lashed to a mast made of a much springier wood. (virtual.fijimuseum.org.fj)
In lower left corner is Mohar (sovereign locket).
The sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling. Struck from 1817 until the present time, it was originally a circulating coin accepted in Britain and elsewhere in the world; it is now a bullion coin and is sometimes mounted in jewellery. In most recent years, it has borne the design of Saint George and the Dragon on the reverse; the initials (B P) of the designer, Benedetto Pistrucci, are visible to the right of the date.
The coin was named after the English gold sovereign, last minted about 1603, and originated as part of the Great Recoinage of 1816. Many in Parliament believed a one-pound coin should be issued rather than the 21-shilling (1.05 pounds) guinea struck until that time. The Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, had Pistrucci design the new coin, and his depiction was also used for other gold coins. Originally, the coin was unpopular as the public preferred the convenience of banknotes, but paper currency of value £1 was soon limited by law. With that competition gone, the sovereign not only became a popular circulating coin, but was used in international trade and in foreign lands, trusted as a coin containing a known quantity of gold.
The British government promoted the use of the sovereign as an aid to international trade, and the Royal Mint took steps to see that lightweight gold coins were withdrawn from circulation. From the 1850s until 1932, the sovereign was also struck at colonial mints, initially in Australia, and later in Canada, South Africa and India—they have been struck again in India since 2013 (in addition to the production in Britain by the Royal Mint) for the local market. The sovereigns issued in Australia initially carried a unique local design, but by 1887, all new sovereigns bore Pistrucci's George and Dragon design. Strikings there were so large that by 1900, about 40 per cent of the sovereigns in Britain had been minted in Australia.
With the start of the First World War in 1914, the sovereign vanished from circulation in Britain, replaced by paper money, and it did not return after the war, though issues at colonial mints continued until 1932. The coin was still used in the Middle East, and demand rose in the 1950s, which the Royal Mint eventually responded to by striking new sovereigns in 1957. It has been struck since then both as a bullion coin and, beginning in 1979, for collectors. Though the sovereign is no longer in circulation, it is still legal tender in the United Kingdom. 
In the top right corner is the coat of arms.
Was granted by Royal Letters Patent on 4 July 1908. It was featured on the colonial ensign and its shield remains on the current flag of Fiji.
The colors and objects on the coat of arms carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The Cross of St. George-which divides the shield quarterly-and the golden lion at the top represent the United Kingdom, the former colonial power that ruled over Fiji. The cacao pod held in the lion's paw, along with the sugarcane, coconut palm and bananas occupying three of the four quadrants, represent the country's natural resources, since these are key agricultural crops in Fiji. The bottom left quadrant contains a dove that symbolizes peace - this was utilized on the country's flag during the reign of King Cakobau, whose government was the last before the commencement of British rule.
The crest at the top depicts a takia - a traditional Fijian canoe - while the supporters grasping the shield on both sides are Fijian warriors. According to legend, they are twins - the older brother is clutching a spear, while the younger one holds a war club. At the bottom is the country's motto - Fear God and honour the Queen (Rerevaka na kalou ka doka na Tui).
Denominations in numerals are top left and bottom right. Serial numbers are in top left corner horizontally and on the right side vertically. In words centered.
Revers:
Diverse group of children of all ethnic groups of Fiji.
The ANZ National Stadium (known as ANZ Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Suva, Fiji.
ANZ Stadium is used primarily for rugby league, rugby union and football matches, and features a track as well as a pitch suitable for worldwide competition. It has undercover seating for 4,000 spectators, and concrete and grass embankments that increase the capacity to 15,000 people.
Originally called Buckhurst Park, the stadium was constructed in 1951 on sixteen hectares of land given by William H. B. Buckhurst in 1948.
The stadium was first renovated in 1978-1979 for the Sixth South Pacific Games. Work commenced in April 1978 with the demolition of the grandstand, which had lost its roof during Hurricane Bebe. The stadium was renamed National Stadium upon reopening in 1979.
A second renovation took place in 2012, sponsored by ANZ Fiji, Fiji's largest bank, at a cost of FJD $17.5 million. The stadium reopened in March 2013, with a rugby union game between the Fiji national team and Classic All Blacks.
Right of the Stadion, on banknote is Korobasabasaga Range. It is a mountain in Fiji and has an elevation of 943 metres. Korobasabasaga Range is south of Wainilebulevu Creek.
Denominations in numerals are in lower left and top right corners.
In lower right corner is, again, Domodomo (as Bank logo).
Comments:
Engraver of the HM Queen portrait: Stephen Matthews of De La Rue.
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