Issued the same year Samoa officially dropped "Western" from its name — a change pushed through by Tanumafili II after decades of insisting the qualifier diminished the nation's identity. The square format, uncommon in Pacific coinage, was a deliberate choice to distinguish the commemorative program from circulation issues.
"Tempora Mutantur" — times change — proved an apt phrase for a head of state who would go on to become the first Bahá'í to lead a sovereign nation.
Issued the same year Samoa officially dropped "Western" from its name — a change pushed through by Tanumafili II after decades of insisting the qualifier diminished the nation's identity. The square format, uncommon in Pacific coinage, was a deliberate choice to distinguish the commemorative program from circulation issues.
"Tempora Mutantur" — times change — proved an apt phrase for a head of state who would go on to become the first Bahá'í to lead a sovereign nation.