The initial Fijian dollar was issued in the late 1860s only to be replaced by the British pound when Britain colonized the country. It was reintroduced in 1969. Fiji dollar banknotes still feature Queen Elizabeth, although the country declared independence in 1970. The country is, however, still a member of the Commonwealth of Nations - a non-political organization of 53 member states, most of which were formerly part of the British Empire.