75 Pa'anga Queen Salote Tupou III

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.