10 Tala Nicolaus Copernicus

Samoa has issued commemorative gold in this fractional format for decades, typically licensing designs through the Pobjoy Mint or similar Commonwealth striking facilities — this Copernicus piece almost certainly falls within that arrangement. Copernicus himself died in 1543, the same year De revolutionibus orbium coelestium was published, reportedly receiving a copy on his deathbed. The choice of subject for a Pacific island nation's commemorative program reflects the essentially commercial nature of such issues rather than any historical connection.