CENTRAL BANK OF SOLOMON ISLANDS, 2 DOLLARS, 2011

HISTORY: The Solomon Islands is a sovereign nation located in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea and north of Vanuatu, which is comprised of six major islands and 900 smaller islands. Its capital is Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal, where fierce battles were fought during World War II. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1976 and was formalized in 1978. Fishing is one of its important industries, yet it is also rich in minerals such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The population of the island is primarily Melanesian.

The Central Bank of Solomon Islands, established in 1983, is located in Honiara and issues the official currency for this island nation. Currency is officially designated as “SI$” to distinguish it from other dollar currencies but is unused on the notes themselves. Other means of currency on the many islands are shell and barter.

The Central Bank of Solomon Islands’ currency was printed by De La Rue, British Banknote Manufacturers, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England.

REVERSE: This elaborately engraved banknote frames an exciting scene of Melanesian fishermen surrounding, entrapping, and spearing a school of fish at the shore’s edge. To the left is the bank logo and to the right the reverse eagle watermark.

OBVERSE: The style of this note for “TWO DOLLARS” was originally issued in 2001 in polymer but reverted to cotton fiber in 2006. It features various stylized fish and birds, with the Solomon Islands coat of arms to the right of center. To the right, again, is the logo of the Central Bank and the tapered serial number. On the left of the note is a rather large blank space, but on closer examination turns out to be a watermark of an eagle and the letters “CBSI.”