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20 Cents Plucking the Konghou
| Issuer | Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 2025 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a finely detailed high-relief depiction of a Flying Apsara (飞天乐伎), a celestial musician derived from the Buddhist mural tradition of the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. The figure is shown in a graceful, airborne pose, her robes and long silk ribbons billowing dynamically around her as she plays the konghou, an ancient angular harp rendered with precise string detail. The composition fills the rectangular field, with the Chinese legend 飞天乐伎 箜篌 inscribed vertically at the upper right, and the English equivalent Flying Apsaras / Plucking the Konghou lettered at the lower left. The mirror-like proof field provides a stark contrast to the frosted sculptural relief, emphasizing the fluid, elegant lines of the figure. |
| Reverse script | Latin/Chinese |
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| Additional information |
The konghou is a Chinese harp with a documented history stretching back over two millennia, referenced in Han dynasty texts and recovered archaeologically from sites predating the common era. It largely disappeared from performance practice for several centuries before a 20th-century reconstruction effort, based on surviving iconography and written descriptions, returned it to playable form.
Samoa's ongoing bullion and collector series regularly commissions instrument-themed issues through the New Zealand Mint, which contracts the program. The 29-gram copper specification places this squarely outside standard circulation weight, confirming its collector-only intent.