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1 Tala - Tanumafili II XXVI Summer Olympics
| Issuer | Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | The national arms of Samoa occupy the central field, comprising a shield bearing a coconut palm above stylised waves and five stars representing the Southern Cross constellation, surmounted by a Latin cross, and flanked by two olive branches tied at the base. A scroll beneath the shield bears the national motto FAVAE I LE ATUA SAMOA. The legend SAMOA I SISIFO arcs along the upper periphery in Latin capitals, and the denomination $1 appears in the lower field below the arms. |
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| Reverse description | A male gymnast is depicted in dynamic action at centre, performing a floor exercise routine, his body extended with one leg raised vertically and both hands planted on the floor. A pommel horse apparatus is shown to the left in the middle ground, rendered in fine relief against a plain field. The legend OLYMPIC GAMES 1996 arcs along the upper right periphery in Latin capitals, and the date 1996 appears in the lower central field. |
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| Additional information |
Samoa's participation in the 1996 Atlanta Games was modest — a handful of athletes across weightlifting and boxing — but the island nation issued several numismatic pieces tied to the event regardless. The .500 silver fineness places this squarely in the lower-cost commemorative bracket that proliferated through Pacific island mints in the 1990s, when dozens of small sovereignties struck Atlanta-themed coins primarily for the collector market rather than any circulation purpose.
Tanumafili II held the O le Ao o le Malo — head of state — from 1963 until his death in 2007, making his effigy one of the longer-running portrait series in Pacific commemorative issues.