Catalog
50 Tala - Tanumafili II Dolphins
| Issuer | Central Bank of Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the national coat of arms of Samoa, depicting a shield quartered with a coconut palm and the Southern Cross constellation of five stars, supported by two olive branches and surmounted by a cross-topped crown. A scroll below the shield bears the national motto in Samoan. The legend SAMOA I SISIFO arcs along the upper periphery, while the denomination $50 appears in the lower field. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Tanumafili II held the position of O le Ao o le Malo — Head of State of Samoa — from independence in 1962 until his death in 2007, making him one of the longest-serving heads of state in the Pacific. The 1995 gold issue belongs to a period when the Central Bank of Samoa was aggressively entering the collector coin market, producing a string of commemorative gold and silver pieces aimed squarely at the international numismatic trade rather than domestic circulation. Most never crossed a counter in Apia.
The .5833 fineness — 14-karat — is the telling detail. It was chosen to reduce minting costs while maintaining a gold designation, a common calculation among smaller Pacific issuers working with limited production budgets in the 1990s.