1 Tala - Tanumafili II Silver Proof issue

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.