The Fijian Dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents.
Apart from the regular circulating dollar coins, Fiji has authorised a number of private mints to issue collector coins which are legal tender in the country but are not intended for general circulation. These are usually made using "smartminting" or other innovative techniques.
This coin is part of a 12-coin series by the Helvetic Mint featuring the Twelve Apostles from the Bible, and shows one of them - Bartholomew.
Bartholomew (Aramaic: ܒܪ ܬܘܠܡܝ; Ancient Greek: Βαρθολομαῖος, romanized: Bartholomaîos; Latin: Bartholomaeus; Armenian: Բարթողիմէոս; Coptic: ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; Hebrew: בר-תולמי, romanized: bar-Tôlmay; Arabic: بَرثُولَماوُس, romanized: Barthulmāwus) was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. He has also been identified as Nathanael or Nathaniel, who appears in the Gospel of John when introduced to Jesus by Philip (who also became an apostle; John 1:43-51), although many modern commentators reject the identification of Nathanael with Bartholomew.
The Mint says about the series:
"Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer with God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Peter (the Prince of the Apostles), Andrew, James the Greater, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. The Lord chose these holy men for their unfeigned love, and gave them eternal glory. Their message goes out through all the earth until nowadays. Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the end of the world, their message. We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord; the glorious company of Apostles praise you." |
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