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75 Pa'anga Queen Salote Tupou III
| Issuer | National Reserve Bank of Tonga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1975 |
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| Diameter | 26 mm |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing effigy of Her Majesty Queen Salote Tupou III, rendered in high relief with detailed hair swept back into a chignon and adorned with a beaded necklace at the truncation. The portrait occupies the central field in a bold, sculptural style. A circular legend along the upper periphery reads 'H.M. QUEEN SALOTE TUPOU III', with the regnal dates '1918 — 1965' flanked by raised dots along the lower periphery. |
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| Reverse description | The national arms of Tonga displayed prominently in the central field, featuring a shield quartered with a star of David, a dove, three swords, and a crowned shield, supported by two crossed flags, surmounted by a royal crown above a laurel wreath, and accompanied by a scroll bearing the motto 'KO E 'OTUA MO TONGA KO HO'U TOFIA'. The denomination '75 PA'ANGA' appears in the upper field within the circular legend 'CENTENARY OF THE CONSTITUTION OF TONGA', while 'TONGA' and the commemorative date range '· 1875-1975 ·' are inscribed in the lower field. |
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| Additional information |
Queen Salote Tupou III ruled Tonga from 1918 until her death in 1965, and remains far better known internationally for a single moment: her open-carriage ride through the rain at Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation, refusing to close the hood despite the downpour. The story — that she did it out of respect for the occasion — made her a beloved figure in Britain overnight. This 1975 issue was struck a decade after her death as part of Tonga's aggressive commemorative gold program under her son Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, who used such releases primarily to generate foreign exchange revenue.
The .917 fineness matches traditional sovereign gold standard, a deliberate choice for international collector appeal.