In 1967, the Pacific island of Tonga issued palladium coins on the occasion of the Coronation of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, thereby achieving a world first. The coins were issued as part of a three coin mint set.
A new denomination was created for these coins, the "Hau", which we guess was named in honour of the King as it consists of part of his name, although as we speak no Tongan, this is purely conjecture on our part.
Alloy = .980 palladium, .020 ruthenium.
There was also a 1968 set with countermark.
Denomination | Diameter (mm) | Weight (grains) | Weight (g) | Fineness (ppt) | Palladium Content (tr oz) |
1 Hau | 48 | 1000 | 64.4 | .980 | 2.04167 |
Half Hau | 33.5 | 500 | 32.54 | .980 | 1.02083 |
Quarter Hau | 26 | 300 | 16.23 | .980 | 0.61458 |
Set of Three | 1800 | 113.17 | .980 | 3.67708 |
Tonga is an archipelago of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.
Tonga only started to issue its own coins in 1962 denominated in pounds, but with 16 koulas to the pound, and in 1967 it decimalised. There are now 100 senti = 1 Pa'Anga, and 100 Pa'anga = 1 Hau, therefore 10,000 senti = 1 Hau.
A previous citizen of Tonga informed us that the Hau, is equal to 100 pa’anga, it only appears on commemorative coins, it is not a denomination used in everyday life, nor does it appear on banknotes. "Hau" in Tongan means "champion" and the Tongan monarch (any Tongan monarch) may be given the honorific title "Hau ‘o e ‘Otu Tonga" which literally translates as "Champion of the Tongan Islands".
The edge is plain, with incuse lettering:
HISTORICALLY THE FIRST PALLADIUM COINAGE
The obverse shows a portrait of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, facing to the right. Small crowns adorn the border of the coin.
CORONATION 4TH JULY 1967
TAUFA'AHAU TUPOU IV
The reverse shows the national arms of Tonga.
Metal | Palladium |
Palladium Weight Troy Ounces | 3.677 |
Fineness / Carat | 0.980 |
Mintage Figure | 1,500 |
Date | 1967 |
Obverse Designer | Unknown |
Reverse Designer | Unknown |
Issuing Monarch | Taufa Ahau Tupou IV |
Mint / Brand | Unknown |
Country | Tonga |
You can find more information on payment and identification requirements.
Bullion coins are provided as is and on occasion may have some minor scratches or edge knocks. These are not regarded as faulty or damaged goods as their precious metal content and value as a bullion coin is not affected. Any coin sold for a value less than a 180% intrinsic is considered a bullion coin.
Gold investment products are VAT free. Silver investment products are inclusive of VAT at the current rate unless otherwise stated.
All investment products are based on the live precious metal price. Prices will be fixed once the item has been added to the basket and recalculates just before checking out.
If your product is not a graded coin and is considered a bullion item, it should be noted that these are bought and sold on low premiums over their precious metal content and not solely for aesthetic purposes; therefore, some products may have edge knocks and/or marks. These edge knocks and marks do not alter the specifications of the coins.
Please note that all investment products are exempt from the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and therefore customers do not have the right to cancel their order once the order has been accepted. If customers no longer wish to go ahead with their investment purchase, there is an option to sell the products back to Chard (1964) Ltd instead. View our current buy back prices.
View our full Terms & Conditions.
We aim to dispatch orders within 48 hours of receiving cleared funds. Our standard delivery methods are as follows.
If you wish to have your order sent by an alternative method (e.g., Saturday Guaranteed) please contact +441253343081 for more information. Please note, we will not dispatch high value orders over a bank holiday weekend.
For international delivery, please check with your local customs office for more information on custom duty and taxes.
Full delivery information can be found by clicking here.
We offer fully insured delivery on all special delivery options. We do need to pass on the cost of this insurance as it soon adds up shipping high value gold and silver products.
If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to call the showroom on +441253343081 and one of our team can discuss your purchase.