Catalog
10 Tala Hans Christian Andersen
| Issuer | Central Bank of Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
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| Value | 10 Tala |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The national arms of Samoa displayed centrally in the field, consisting of a shield bearing a coconut palm and five stars of the Southern Cross constellation, superimposed upon a globe and surmounted by a Latin cross. The shield is flanked by olive branches tied at the base with a ribbon bearing the motto FA'AVAE I LE ATUA SAMOA. The legend SAMOA I SISIFO arcs along the upper periphery, and the denomination $10 appears in the lower field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A right-facing portrait bust of the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen occupies the central field, depicted wearing his characteristic tall top hat and cravat, rendered in a style reminiscent of 19th-century portraiture. A fine beaded border encircles the inner field. The legend H. C. ANDERSEN arcs along the upper periphery in raised letters, while the dates 1805 - 1875, denoting the author's birth and death years, are inscribed along the lower portion of the field. |
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| Additional information |
Issued as part of a wave of small-format gold commemoratives that flooded the Pacific island mint-program market in the late 2000s, this piece has no particular connection to Samoa — Andersen was Danish, died in 1875, and the Central Bank of Samoa's involvement is purely a licensing arrangement. Such programs were common vehicles for bullion dealers and coin marketers seeking sovereign backing for product lines aimed at collector rather than circulatory demand.