Catalog
1 Sene - Tanumafili II Silver Proof issue
| Issuer | Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1974 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.9500 g |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central design features a detailed depiction of a coconut husk lying horizontally in the field, with a sprouting coconut palm shoot emerging from it, symbolising growth and the agricultural heritage of Samoa. The denomination 1 SENE is inscribed above the central motif in bold upright lettering. The engraver's initials JB appear discretely at the lower right of the design, referencing James Berry. The reverse field is polished to a mirror finish consistent with proof production standards. |
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| Additional information |
Samoa's 1974 proof series was struck to coincide with the country's first decade of independence, achieved in 1962 as the first Pacific Island nation to shed colonial administration. Tanumafili II, who co-held the O le Ao o le Malo — the head of state position — from independence, would go on to become the world's first reigning Bahá'í head of state after his conversion in 1968, a fact that generated considerable international attention at the time.
The .925 silver proof sene were never intended for circulation; the face value was essentially nominal against the production cost.