For Small Change

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30278, 2 November 1963, Page 18

For Small Change

[Specially written for “The Pri Far away in the Pacific the island kingdom of Tonga produced stamps like the one below as far back as 1897; for their time they were unusual, ly gay and colourful. Bui they were issued for a far more serious purpose than to enliven the appearance oi old-time stamp collections, welcome though the resulting revenue was to the Tongan treasury. Die stamps were issued by King George II of Tonga at a time when rival European powers were busily engaged in carving out spheres of infiuence for themselves in the Pacific—and with stamps ot this kind Tonga's monarch made his claim to sovereignty and freedom from mterference by European interests. He did so with such success that Tonga, alone of the native Pacific kingdoms, has retained its identity and independence to the preeenl day. There w.s another important reason for issuing such stamps. It could hardly be said that the postal need for stamp* was very great, for many of the islanders at this 'time could not write—-but stamps came in very handy as small change! It was much easier and cheaper to print stamps—even handsome ones, finely