Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
50 Seniti - Salote Tupou III Countermarked - IN MEMORIAM
| Issuer | Government of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1967 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The full Royal Coat of Arms of Tonga is rendered in fine relief at the centre of the field, featuring a quartered shield bearing a cross, stars of the Southern Cross, a crown, and crossed weapons, supported by two doves and flanked by two Tongan flags on staffs. A royal crown surmounts the achievement, itself encircled by a laurel wreath. A scroll below bears the national motto 'KO E OTUA MO TONGA KO HOKU TOFIA'. The denomination '50 SENITI' arcs across the upper field, and the country name 'TONGA' is inscribed in large letters along the lower field, all within a beaded border. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Tonga had no domestic minting capability in 1967, and this piece belongs to a small series of countermarked issues produced to mark the death of Queen Salote Tupou III, who died in December 1965 after a reign of nearly forty-seven years. The "IN MEMORIAM" countermark was applied to existing circulation coinage, a practical solution that sidestepped the need for a full new issue while still creating a commemorative record.
Salote remains best known internationally for her appearance at Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation, where she rode open-topped through London rain and charmed the crowd. The Tongan government leaned heavily on that international goodwill in marketing these pieces abroad.