Catalog
5 Tālā
| Issuer | Central Bank of Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | A vignette of one of Samoa's characteristic palm-fringed sandy beaches extends across the face of the note, evoking the nation's prominent tourism industry. Inscriptions appear in both Samoan and English, including the denomination in numerals and lettering, alongside the issuing authority's name. The design employs the characteristic colour palette and security underprint of the SAFEGUARD™ polymer substrate. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse carries a vignette of Villa Vailima, the historic residence — now a museum — of celebrated Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, who was known locally as Tusitala (Teller of Tales). The National Coat of Arms of Samoa appears alongside the architectural vignette. Bilingual inscriptions in Samoan and English identify the issuing authority and denomination. |
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| Comments |
Samoa's transition to polymer banknotes has been incremental, and the 2023 series represents De La Rue's SAFEGUARD™ substrate applied to a Pacific island issuer with relatively modest circulation volumes — a combination that makes the notes more durable in humid tropical conditions than the cotton-paper notes they replace. De La Rue has produced Samoan currency for decades, so the manufacturing relationship here is long-established rather than a new procurement decision.
The TBB reference suggests this is among the earlier catalog entries for the 2023 series, which had not yet received a Pick number at time of listing.