The tanoa is the wooden bowl in which Fijians prepare the drink for the kava ceremony, one of the islands’ most important customs: a solemn ritual in which the drink is shared to mark significant moments in the life of the community. That very bowl appears on the reverse of the 2006 cent, and the same motif later moved to Fiji’s first 2-dollar coin.

The obverse carries Raphael Maklouf’s diademed portrait of Elizabeth II and the legend ELIZABETH II FIJI 2006. Struck in copper-plated steel, the coin turned out to be among the last of its kind: rising metal prices led the Reserve Bank to stop issuing 1 and 2 cent coins in 2008–2009.

AU-UNC sits between aUNC and UNC: practically no wear, at most a light rub on the highest points, lustre retained. In a date run of Fijian cents with the Queen’s portrait this is one of the closing pieces.

Other coins of this country and issues on related themes can be found in the VPcoins catalogue.