Catalog
10 Dollars - Elizabeth II 2nd portrait, Rebecca
| Issuer | Tuvalu |
|---|---|
| Year | 1979 |
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| Currency | Dollar (1976-date) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central depiction of the historic sailing vessel Rebecca shown underway under full sail on stylized waves, rendered in fine detail. The vessel name REBECCA appears vertically along the left field. The legend TUVALU 1979 arcs along the upper periphery, while TEN DOLLARS is inscribed along the lower periphery, all within a beaded border. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Tuvalu issued its first national coinage in 1976, just one year after gaining internal self-governance and three years before full independence from Britain in 1978. This 1979 dollar series — featuring figures from Tuvaluan oral tradition — represents one of the earliest sovereign numismatic programs from a Pacific microstate, struck at the Royal Australian Mint as part of a broader effort to establish national identity through circulating and collector coinage simultaneously. Rebecca is a figure drawn from local legend.
The .500 fine silver specification was a deliberate cost compromise, keeping collector pieces accessible to a small-population nation with extremely limited treasury resources.