Catalog
1 Koula - Salote Tupou III
| Issuer | Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1962 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | The complete Royal Arms of Tonga occupies the central field, depicting a quartered shield bearing a cross, three six-pointed stars, a crown, and two crossed swords, supported on either side by a lion holding a Tongan flag, with a royal crown and laurel wreath above. A scrolled ribbon below the shield bears the Tongan national motto in Latin script. The denomination KOULA appears in the upper field above the arms, and the issuer name TONGA is inscribed in the lower field, all within a beaded border. |
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| Reverse lettering | SALOTE TUPOU III 1962 |
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| Additional information |
Tonga's 1962 platinum koula is one of the earliest platinum circulation-intended issues from any Pacific nation, produced during the reign of Queen Salote Tupou III, who ruled for 47 years and remains one of the most consequential monarchs in Tongan history — widely remembered internationally for her open-carriage appearance in the rain at Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation. The .999 platinum composition places this well outside routine coinage practice for the period; platinum issues in 1962 were effectively unknown outside of specialized bullion contexts.
The KM#3a / Schön#3b designation distinguishes this from the gold-composition sibling, KM#3.