Samoa 1976 tala KM-20

Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale, lot 73146

This specimen was lot 73146 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2021), where it sold for $75. The catalog description^[1] noted, "SAMOA. Tala, 1976. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo. Commemorating the 200th anniversary of American independence and the ride of Paul Revere, this nearly-flawless Gem radiates with great beauty and offers a tremendous cameo nature." The Samoan islands were partitioned between Germany (western part) and the United States (the eastern part) in 1899. The Germany colony fell to New Zealand during World War One and was held by them until 1962, when it became independent. Coins of one thru fifty sene circulate, the larger denominations are sold as commemoratives of which this is one. It was struck in copper-nickel and in sterling silver.

Recorded mintage: 40,000 in copper-nickel plus 4,127 proofs in silver.

Specification: copper-nickel, 38.8 mm diameter, or 30.40 g, 0.925 fine silver.

Catalog reference: KM 20 (copper-nickel) or KM 20a (silver).

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• ^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The June 2021 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.

Link to:

• 1977 100 tala, 50th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight
• 1978 100 tala, 50th Anniversary of the Transpacific Flight of Charles Kingsford Smith
• 1979 100 tala, bicentennial of the death of Captain Cook
• Coins and currency dated 1976