Catalog
1 Pound
| Issuer | Treasury of Western Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953-1959 |
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| Value | 1 Pound |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in purple and green tones, with the title 'TERRITORY OF WESTERN SAMOA' arching across the top within an intricate guilloche border, flanked by '£1' numerals at each upper corner. A central vignette presents a traditional Samoan fale (thatched dwelling) set among palm trees, framed by ornate rosette underprints and the denomination panel 'ONE POUND' in an intaglio cartouche. The note bears a Wellington date, two serial numbers, and two manuscript signatures — one for the Minister of Island Territories for New Zealand and one for the Secretary to the New Zealand Treasury. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in red and blue, dominated by a large central guilloche medallion in blue bearing a bold '£1' cipher overlaid with the text 'TREASURY NOTE'. The inscription 'TERRITORY OF WESTERN SAMOA' curves around the upper and lower arcs of the central roundel, while symmetrical 'POUND' cartouches in red appear at the left and right. The overall design relies on fine-line lathe-work patterns filling the entire field with no pictorial vignette. |
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| Comments |
Western Samoa was still under New Zealand administration when this note circulated — the UN Trusteeship formally ended only in 1962. The Treasury of Western Samoa issuing its own pound-denominated notes during this period was a function of local administrative arrangements rather than full monetary independence, with the New Zealand pound serving as the underlying reference currency.
Bradbury Wilkinson produced notes for dozens of colonial and trust territories during this period. Their security printing was reliable but not lavish — a straightforward watermark was typical security provision for lower-circulation Pacific territories where sophisticated counterfeiting was not a serious operational concern.