SUVA (AFP) - Fiji dropped the image of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II from a new range of bank notes and coins unveiled Wednesday, replacing her with plants and animals native to the Pacific island state. Fiji President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said the new currency was a milestone for the former British colony, which became independent in 1970 and declared itself a republic in 1987 following a military coup. Nailatikau said the royal family had featured on Fiji’s currency since 1934 but it was time for the country to move on and introduce new coins and notes, which will enter circulation in January. “With the new series comes a little sadness for many of us,” he said. “We will witness a historical change.