Catalog
1 Tala - Tanumafili II Silver Proof issue
| Issuer | Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1974 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed effigy of Malietoa Tanumafili II facing left, rendered in high relief with finely detailed hair and facial features. A small engraver's monogram appears at the lower right of the bust truncation. The peripheral legend reads MALIETOA TANUMAFILI II SAMOA I SISIFO, arranged along the upper rim, with the date 1974 flanked by two five-pointed stars positioned along the lower rim. |
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| Obverse lettering | MALIETOA TANUMAFILI II SAMOA I SISIFO 1974 |
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| Additional information |
Tanumafili II co-held the O le Ao o le Malo — the Samoan head of state position — jointly with Tupua Tamasese Meaole from independence in 1962, but by 1974 had governed alone for over a decade following Tamasese's death. That same year, Samoa was navigating the economic disruptions of the global oil crisis, and proof silver issues like this one were produced primarily for the export collector market, generating hard currency the young nation badly needed.