The Reserve Bank of Fiji today said it has noted the concerns from the public on the discoloration or tarnishing of the newly issued $1 and $2 coins as well as the confusion on the coin sizes.
The Governor, Barry Whiteside, said the discoloration of the $1 and $2 coins were first identified early this year, soon after these coins were issued into circulation from 2 January 2013, and that the suppliers were immediately notified of the issue. The discoloration issue, unfortunately, has contributed to confusion amongst members of the public in differentiating between the two coins as the designs can be difficult to see in poor light conditions.
The RBF is currently liaising with the suppliers in arriving at an amicable solution to address this discoloration and sizing issue. Governor Whiteside said that this issue is only with the $1 and $2 coins and that no issues have been experienced with 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent coin denominations.
Governor Whiteside said as soon as an agreement has been reached with the suppliers, the RBF will further advise the public of any remedial action to be taken. The public is however urged to take extra precautions when handling cash for making payments.
Mr Whiteside further advised that all the new Flora and Fauna coins, including the $1 and $2 coins, each have a unique feature which was specifically included to assist the visually challenged. The edges of each coin are different. For the $1 or Saqamoli, the edge is “milled” with many uninterrupted grooves. This is easily identified by running your fingernail along the edge of the coin. In direct contrast, the $2 coin has a completely smooth edge, so you feel nothing but smoothness when running your fingernail across it.
Reserve Bank of Fiji