Catalog
10 Tala - Tanumafili II Olympic Games
| Issuer | Government of Western Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1984 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Two boxers in dynamic combat are depicted in high relief at the centre of the field, exchanging blows in mid-bout, rendered in a vigorous, naturalistic style. An Olympic torch with a flaming head stands to the left of the figures. The engraver's initials ER appear incuse on the ground line beneath the boxers. The legend OLYMPIC GAMES curves along the upper periphery, with the date 1984 inscribed in large numerals along the lower margin. |
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| Additional information |
Western Samoa's participation in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was itself a minor diplomatic footnote — the Games were boycotted by the Soviet Union and most Eastern Bloc nations, but Western Samoa, like the majority of smaller Pacific island states, attended without hesitation. Tanumafili II had held the position of O le Ao o le Malo since 1963 and would eventually become the world's longest-serving head of state before his death in 2007.
KM#59 was struck by the British Royal Mint under contract, as Western Samoa lacked domestic minting capacity throughout this period.