Tongan paʻanga
1 EUR = 2.5828 TOP 1 TOP = 0.38717 EUR
1 CHF = 2.1167 TOP 1 TOP = 0.47243 CHF
The Paanga (also Tongan dollar ) is the currency of Tonga. He is from the National Bank of Tonga ( National Reserve Bank of Tonga / Pangike Pule Fakafonua o Tonga; short NRBT ) controls in the capital Nukualofa. The Paanga is not freely convertible and tied to a basket of other currencies consisting of the Australian, New Zealand and the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.
A Paanga corresponds to 100 Seniti, ISO code is TOP and the common abbreviation T $ (¢ for Seniti ). In Tonga Paanga even the English language is usually referred to only as dollars and cents as Seniti. For higher amounts, there is also the unit Hau ( Hau 1 = 100 Paanga ), but this is not needed in everyday life and is found only in Sonderprägungen.
Name and history
Sea beans ( Entada scandens, a Mimosengewächseart ), called in the Tongan language Paanga are tendrils with a four to five meters high trunk and big shiny dark brown to purple seed. This also West Indian hazelnuts or St. Thomas - Hearts -mentioned seeds with one to two centimeters in diameter rather flat and have a diameter of about five inches. Aufgeschnürrt they serve as anklets, as worn in the traditional garb of Kailao dance. They have also been used as pawns in an ancient game called lafo.
When the crew of the Port-au -Prince on December 1, 1806 their ship after a Tongan attack buried so that it the attackers did not fall into the hands of Finau Fangupō could ( Finau Ulukālala II i Feletoa ), chief of the island groups Haapai and Vavau to first find any valuable items in the remains and had them under the assumption that ships have a poor man heard burn. It was only later he learned from William Mariner, the only survivors of the importance of the Paanga resembling metal pieces and regretted his act.
From Mariner also the following statement by Finau Fangupō is delivered:
"If money were made of iron and Could be converted into knives, axes and chisels there would be some sense in Placing a value on it; but as it is, I see none. If a man Has more yams than he wants, let him exchange some of them away for pork [ ... ] Certainly money is much handier and more convenient but then, as it will not spoil by being kept, people want to store it up instead of sharing it out as a chief ought to do, and ran thus become selfish [ ... ] I understand now very well what it is makes the papalangis did so selfish - it is the money "
German about:
"If money were made of iron and one knife, ax and chisel could make it, it would be useful to assign a value to it; but as it is I can not see any. If a man has more yams than he needs let him exchange them for pork. [ ... ] Certainly, money handy and convenient, but again, if it is never bad, people will keep it instead of spending as they should do and are thus mainly selfish. [ ... ] Now I understand very well what makes Europeans so selfish - it's the money "
As Tonga was on May 18, 1900 by a treaty of friendship with the British protectorate, circulated soon after the British currency in the island state. This was replaced in Tonga 1933 issued by the Tongan government bills with the inscription sterling, which had the unusual denomination in four shillings. 1936 this currency but was again replaced by the Tongan pound (T £), with a pound sterling was exactly one and a quarter pound Tongan. The Tongan pound so resembled the original Australian pound, which had been in 1936 but already devalued. At the first notes, the term sterling was ruled out, later he was completely removed.
On April 3, 1967, including the Paanga has been introduced. The pound was traded at a 2:1 ratio. When naming the decision was against the concept of dollars because of this ( / vulgar pig snout and mouth, the soft end of the coconut, colloquial) to very similar to the Tongan word tola.
The National Reserve Bank of Tonga was founded on July 1, 1989, which was responsible from then on for the note issue. Even if the number of employees has increased from an initial six to 52 now over the years, it is still one of the smallest banks in the world. Since 11 February 1991, the Paanga is no longer tied to the Australian dollar, but to a weighted basket of currencies of major trading partners of Tonga.
Certificates
Notes are to one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred Paanga. The bills are labeled on the front in Tongan language and show there is always the late King Taufaahau Tupou IV The back is held in English and shows typical motifs and landmarks ( including the Haamonga -A- Maui archway, the Royal Palace, the Development Bank Tonga and the Port of Vavau ).
Coins are above the face value of one, two, five, ten, twenty and fifty Seniti. On the three coins with the highest value is at the front again, the late King depicted, the 5 - ¢ coin depicts a hen with chicks, the 2 - ¢ coin of the United Nations symbol and family planning with appropriate lettering in English 1 - ¢ coin corn. The backs of each show plants and the lettering Fakalahi meakai ( Tongan: " More Food "); in descending order are depicted tomatoes, yams, bananas, coconuts, taro and vanilla. A special feature is the dodecagonal 50 - ¢ coin represents (all other coins are round).
In addition to the coins mentioned above there are also older 1-T $ - and $ 2-T - coins in circulation, but these are considered collectibles. This is issued commemorative coins for the different occasions (usually royal birthdays).