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½ Poe rava Marutea Sud
| Issuer | French Polynesia › French Polynesia (1957-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2015 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 21 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central field depicts the coat of arms of French Polynesia in a stylised, low-relief rendering: a pirogue (outrigger canoe) riding stylised waves in the lower portion, flanked by two tiki figures, with a frigate bird displayed above and radiating sun rays filling the upper field. The design is executed in a bold, graphic style characteristic of Polynesian artistic tradition. No legend or inscription appears on this face. |
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| Reverse description | A profile view of a Sikorsky R4 helicopter occupies the central field, depicted in fine detail with rotor blades, fuselage, and landing gear clearly rendered. The inscription 'ILE MARUTEA SUD' arcs across the upper field in two lines. The model designation 'SIKORSKI R4' appears to the lower right of the helicopter. The denomination '1/2 POE RAVA' is prominently displayed in large numerals and lettering across the lower field, with the date '2015' struck directly below. |
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| Additional information |
Marutea Sud is a remote atoll in the Gambier archipelago, rarely appearing on coinage by name. The poe rava — a dark, near-black Tahitian pearl — drives the only significant economy across these outer islands, and the denomination itself is named for it rather than for any abstract monetary unit. That choice was deliberate: when the Institut d'émission d'outre-mer redesigned the Polynesian franc series, naming subdivisions after locally harvested goods was a quiet assertion of Pacific identity within a French-administered currency zone.