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1 Hau - Taufa'ahau Tupou IV Coronation
| Issuer | Government of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1967 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The Royal Arms of Tonga displayed in full detail at centre, comprising a quartered shield bearing three six-pointed stars and a cross on the dexter side, and a crown and crossed swords with a dove on the sinister side. The shield is surmounted by a royal crown within a laurel wreath, and flanked on either side by a Tongan national flag on a staff. Below the shield, a scroll bears the national motto MO TONGA KO HOKU with subsidiary inscriptions KO E QUA and TOFIA on either side. The denomination HAU appears in the upper field and TONGA in the lower field, with the engraver's initials DB visible below the shield. |
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| Reverse lettering | HAU TONGA MO TONGA KO HOKU KO E QUA TOFIA |
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| Additional information |
Tonga's 1967 coronation coinage was among the first palladium issues struck by any sovereign government for circulation, predating most national experiments with the metal by decades. The series was produced to mark the accession of Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, who had effectively governed as Prime Minister under his mother Queen Sālote for years before her death in 1965. At 64 grams, this is the heaviest piece in that coronation set — palladium's relatively low density making the coin considerably larger in hand than gold of equivalent mass.
The Pobjoy Mint handled production. Palladium spot prices in 1967 were a fraction of what they would later reach, which partly explains why the metal was viable for a Pacific island government's commemorative program.