The currency of Samoa is the Tālā, the name of which is a transliteration of the English words Dollar; it was introduced in 1967. On coinage sometimes the English word is inscribed, especially on commemorative and bullion coins not intended to circulate within the country.
Samoa has authorised some private mints to issue coins under its jurisdiction, which come in a variety of sizes - including in the internationally popular half gram of gold mini-coin format, such as this one.
This coin commemorates the The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers film released in 2002.
The epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson is based on 1954's The Two Towers, the second volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The sequel to 2001's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the film is the second instalment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Continuing the plot of the previous film, it intercuts three story lines. Frodo and Sam continue their journey towards Mordor to destroy the One Ring, meeting and joined by Gollum, the ring's former keeper. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli come to the war-torn nation of Rohan and are reunited with the resurrected Gandalf, before fighting against the legions of the treacherous wizard Saruman at the Battle of Helm's Deep. Merry and Pippin escape capture, meet Treebeard the Ent, and help to plan an attack on Isengard, fortress of Saruman. |
| Obverse | |
|---|
The obverse of the coin features the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait", by Ian Rank-Broadley). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits. Below the neck truncation, the designer's initials IRB.
Given that Samoa has been a republic since it gained independence in 1962, it is unclear why the Queen's effigy is displayed on the coin (not to mention that she died in 2022).
Below the portrait, a small Coat of Arms of Samoa. It consists of a shield, the lower two-thirds of which have five stars representing the constellation of the Southern Cross; the upper third depicts a beach and a coconut palm. The shield is surmounted by a cross with rays radiating from its centre, and is superimposed on two concentric circles representing the world, and an olive branch wreath - as in the United Nations Badge. On a ribbon below, the motto FA'AVAE I LE ATUA SAMOA, meaning "God be the Foundation of Samoa".
Around above, the name of the country and the date of issue: SAMOA 2023. The precious metal content 0.5 g Au .9999 is inscribed on two lines around below left; it means "half gram of 99.99% gold" - Au is abbreviated from Aurum, the Latin word for gold. Around below right, the face value $50 TALA. |
|
Search for Samoa: Gold Half Gram 2023 Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers on eBay 
