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1 Tala - Tanumafili II Discovery of Samoa
| Issuer | Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1972 |
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| Currency | Tala (1967-date) |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Western Samoa is centrally depicted, featuring a quartered shield bearing a Southern Cross constellation of five stars in the lower field and a stylised fleur-de-lis above wavy lines in the upper field, surmounted by a Latin cross. The shield is encircled by an olive wreath and flanked by two palm fronds, with a scroll at the base bearing the national motto FAAVAE I LE ATUA SAMOA. The date 1972 flanks the cross above the shield, the country name SAMOA I SISIFO arcs along the upper legend, and the denomination $1 appears in the lower field. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | SAMOA I SISIFO 19 72 FAAVAE I LE ATUA SAMOA $1 (Translation: God be the Foundation of Samoa) |
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| Additional information |
This coin commemorates the 1972 anniversary of European contact with Samoa, traditionally attributed to the Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen, who encountered the islands in 1722. Roggeveen was the same explorer who had located Easter Island earlier that same voyage — a detail that tends to overshadow his Samoan landfall in most historical accounts.
Tanumafili II, whose name appears on the issue, would go on to become the world's longest-serving head of state before his death in 2007, and the first Bahá'í head of state of any nation.