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1 Pa'anga - Taufa'ahau Tupou IV Countermarked - COMMONWEALTH MEMBER
| Issuer | Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1968 |
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| Value | 1 Paʻanga |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed effigy of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV facing right, rendered in high relief with naturalistic modelling, occupying the central field. The legend TAUFA'AHAU TUPOU IV curves along the upper periphery within a beaded border. The date 1968 appears prominently in the lower field, flanked by two incuse countermark inscriptions applied to the host KM#33 coin: COMMONWEALTH / 1970 to the left and MEMBER / 1970 to the right, each struck in a recessed rectangular punch. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Tonga joined the Commonwealth of Nations in June 1970, but this countermark was applied to existing 1968-dated coins in anticipation of — or to commemorate — that accession. The practice of countermarking circulating or recent coinage rather than issuing an entirely new type was a cost-conscious solution for a small Pacific kingdom with limited mint infrastructure, all production contracted to foreign facilities.
KM#35 is one of several Tongan issues from this period produced for the collector market as much as for circulation.