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20 Cents Hephaestus & Libra
| Issuer | Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 25 g |
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| Obverse description | Central circular field featuring the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, with a small Samoan coat of arms positioned below the portrait. Surrounding the central circle, the twelve zodiac signs are depicted in sequence with their respective astrological symbols (♈ through ♓), each accompanied by a black star-shaped crystal insert. A pink crystal insert is placed adjacent to the Libra symbol, distinguishing it from the remaining eleven signs. The legend around the design names all twelve signs in Latin script: ARIES, TAURUS, GEMINI, CANCER, LEO, VIRGO, LIBRA, SCORPIO, SAGITTARIUS, CAPRICORN, AQUARIUS, and PISCES. The inscriptions ELIZABETH II, SAMOA, 2022, and the designer's initials IRB complete the obverse legend. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a dynamic depiction of Hephaestus, the Greek god of blacksmiths and fire, shown in the act of forging at his anvil, hammer raised in hand. The background is richly composed with elements evoking his divine workshop: flames of the blacksmith's fire, rising steam, heavy chains, and an array of swords, conveying both power and craftsmanship. The composition is rendered in high relief against a detailed field, giving the scene a dramatic, narrative quality. The god's name appears as the legend HEPHAESTUS along with the denomination 20 CENTS inscribed in the field. |
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| Additional information |
Samoa has issued commemorative coinage under licensing arrangements with external distributors — primarily the Pobjoy Mint and later various private bullion and novelty coin producers — for decades, with little connection to domestic monetary circulation. This piece belongs firmly to that collector-market pipeline, struck not for Samoan commerce but for international hobby distribution.
The pairing of a Greek deity with an astrological symbol has no particular historical or cultural grounding in Samoa itself.