10 Dollars 2013, Fiji
| in Krause book | Number: 116 |
| Years of issue: | 02.01.2013 |
| Edition: | -- |
| Signatures: | Governor Reserve Bank of Fiji: Mr. Barry Whiteside |
| Serie: | 2012 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 2012 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 141 х 67 |
| Printer: | TDLR (Thomas de la Rue & Company), London |
* 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:
Native Fijian and the cornerstones. Denomination 10.
Avers:
On right side is Lever’s Goby (Redigobius leveri). Redigobius is a genus of fish in the goby family, Gobiidae, known commonly as dualspot gobies. They are native to the western Indo-Pacific region, where they occur in estuaries and freshwater habitats just above the tidal influence.
Lever’s Goby is endemic to Fiji and is known only from the islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Records exist from the Rewa River and Savura Creek (Viti Levu); Dreketi River and Kubulau (Vanua Levu) and Tavoro Creek (Taveuni).
In the lower left corner is "Priest's bowl". This illustrates the rare priest's kava dish in duck form [daveniyaqona vakaga, or i-buburau ni bete vakaga].
Kava or kava-kava (Piper methysticum) is a crop of the western Pacific.
The name kava(-kava) is from Tongan and Marquesan; other names for kava include ʻawa (Hawaiʻi), ava (Samoa), yaqona (Fiji), and sakau (Pohnpei).
The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with sedative and anesthetic properties. Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia, including Hawaii, Vanuatu, Melanesia and some parts of Micronesia. Kava is sedating and is primarily consumed to relax without disrupting mental clarity.
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 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 colours 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 in top left and lower right corners. Serial numbers are in top left corner horizontally and on the right side vertically.
Revers:
On right side is the Grand Pacific Hotel, in earlier colonial years.
The Grand Pacific Hotel is located on the main sea front, on Victoria Parade in Suva, Fiji. It was built by The Union Steamship Company in 1914 to serve the needs of passengers on its transpacific routes. The design of the hotel was to make the passengers think they had never gone ashore, for rooms in the GPH were like first-class staterooms, complete with saltwater bathrooms and plumbing fixtures identical to those on an ocean liner.
It has been a popular place to stay for famous guests such as Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Somerset Maugham, James A Michener and Queen Elisabeth II.
More to the left is the Joske’s Thumb.
Joske's Thumb is a precipitous volcanic plug, that rises in the skyline to the west of Suva, Fiji. It is located 15 kilometers west of Suva and its base is accessible from Naikorokoro Road, which connects Naikorokoro Village to Queens Road. Other sources note that Naikorokoro Road, the road toward Joske's Thumb, intersects on the north side of Queens Road, 0.8 kilometers (0.50 miles) west of the Lami Bay Hotel outside Lami.
The peak takes its name from Paul Joske, one of Suva's pioneer settlers, who came with the Australian-based Polynesia Company in 1870. Joske and his son, Adolf Brewster-Joske, later known as Adolf Brewster Brewster, established Fiji's first sugar mill, importing machinery and beginning the country's sugar industry. The mill, which operated between 1873 and 1875, was on the site where Fiji's Parliament Building currently stands. The mill ultimately failed, owing to the poor crop from shallow soil in the Suva area. Later in life, Paul Joske devoted much of his time to designing and establishing Suva as Fiji's new capital.
Prior to Paul Joske's arrival in Fiji, the mountain was known as "Rama" and Devil's Thumb, because "the locals say looks like a man trying to claw his way out of hell". When Paul Joske committed suicide after allegations of incest, his descendants changed their names to Brewster, Joske's wife's maiden name, but the Devil's Thumb was commemorated with Joske's name, due to his demise.
Lower is denomination, in words. Denominations in numerals are in lower left and top right corners.
In lower right corner and right, lower, from center are, again, Domodomo (as registration device).
Comments:
Hidden and combining images, security thread with microprinted letters RBF, foil with the image of the star, embossed print.
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