Historical Sketch

The British navigator Philip Carteret was the first European to sight Pitcairn in 1767. The island was then uninhabited as the earlier Polynesian settlers had left around the 15th century. Pitcairn is renowned for being settled by the mutineers of HMS Bounty of 1790, which still constitute the origin of part of today's population. In 1838, Great Britain laid official claim to the Pitcairn and neighboring islands. The colony was administered out of Fiji until its independence in 1970 and has been a separate British territory since then.

Monetary History Overview

The Briish colonial administration never passed any currency regulation for the remote island which even at its peak never had more than 250 inhabitants. Throughout time, New Zealand currency became customary. Only in June 1988, a currency ordinance established the Pitcairn currency to be the New Zealand Dollar. The island governor acts as commissioner of currency who has the authority to issue local coins ("Pitcairn Dollar") to circulate alongside the New Zealand notes and coins. For a few years, commemorative coins have been issued under this ordinance. All further coins in the name of the Pitcairn Islands were so far unauthorized fantasies.

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Monetary History Sources