New $2 coins will be issued from the 3rd of next month to replace the existing $2 coins.
The Reserve Bank of Fiji said the change is in response to earlier public calls regarding the difficulty experienced in distinguishing between the current $1 and $2 coins.
RBF Governor Barry Whiteside said that the new $2 coin will be slightly larger and thicker than the existing $1 and $2 coins.
It will have a new “Spanish Flower” (an inside cut) edge which will also serve as an effective differentiating feature for the visually impaired as well as for the general public.
While the designs on both sides of the new coin remain unchanged, these have been raised slightly and made more prominent so that these can be easily felt.
The new $2 coin is made of Multiply Bronze Plated Steel instead of the Multiply Brass Plated Steel of the existing coin.
Whiteside said the new bronze metal composition is expected to delay discoloration of the new $2 coins, something which has been an issue given Fiji’s tropical climate and coin handling practices in the market.
With the introduction of the new $2 coin from 3rd November this year, the public is encouraged to start returning the existing $2 coins to a bank branch nearest to them before 31st December 2014.
