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1 Pa'anga - Tāufaʻahau Tupou IV Queen Mother's Crown
| Issuer | National Reserve Bank of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Paʻanga |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The Royal Arms of Tonga displayed centrally within a beaded inner circle, featuring a quartered shield bearing three six-pointed stars and a central cross on a geometric ground, surmounted by a crown and flanked by two crossed Tongan national flags on staffs. The shield is supported by scrollwork and a dove below, with the motto scroll reading KO E OTUA MO TONGA KO HOKU TOFIA arching beneath. The legend KINGDOM OF TONGA curves along the upper periphery, and the date 1996 appears in the lower field between two small circular stops. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A highly detailed rendering of the Crown of the Queen Mother, made for the coronation of 1937, depicted centrally within a beaded inner circle, resting on its ermine-trimmed base and featuring fleur-de-lis arches, a prominent gemstone at the front cross-pattée, and an orb surmounted by a cross at the apex. The legend QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER curves along the upper outer border, while THE CROWN OF THE QUEEN MOTHER arcs as a secondary inner legend. The coronation reference date 1937 appears in the lower central field, with the denomination ONE PA'ANGA inscribed along the lower border. |
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| Additional information |
Issued to mark the crowning of Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata'aho, who had held the title of Queen Consort since her marriage to King Tāufaʻahau Tupou IV in 1947. Tonga's commemorative silver program of the 1990s was prolific to the point of controversy — the National Reserve Bank authorized dozens of issues aimed squarely at the collector export market, with minimal domestic circulation intended.
Many of these issues were struck by foreign mints under license, a common arrangement for Pacific island nations whose domestic minting infrastructure was nonexistent.