Malo Saʻoloto Tutoʻatasi o Sāmoa
(Independent State of Samoa)
Central Bank of Samoa
Currency : Tala (WST)
This is a commemorative banknote of 60 tala issued on 31.05.2023 for the celebration of Samoa's 60th year of independence from New Zealand. The release of this commemorative note was announced on 26.05.2023 by the Minister of Finance, Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo.
In 2012, Samoa issued a 50 tala note, celebrating the country's 50th year of independence. Fast forward to 2023, a new design of commemorative banknote is issued to celebrate the country's 60th year of Independence .
Samoa achieved full independence on 01.01.1962. Prior to that, this small island nation was occupied by New Zealand from 30.08.1914. Following independence, the country was then known as the Independent State of Western Samoa. On 04.07.1997, following the amendment of its Constitution it changed its name to Samoa (The Independent State of Samoa - Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Sāmoa). Prior to the Kiwi's occupation, Samoa was colonised by the German from 01.03.1900 to 30.08.1914. Whilst independence day falls on the 1st of January, however this day is celebrated on the 1st of June instead.
According to the Minister of Finance, Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo, this commemorative banknote represents the celebration of a "New Dawn" for the history of Samoa. For the first time in Samoa’s history of Banknotes, a 60 tala denominated note was introduced into circulation.
This commemorative banknote is also unique to the people of Samoa, as for the first time in their history, it has a female Prime Minister, the Honorable Fiame Naomi Mataafa printed on the front of the note. On the reverse side, it features the country's first Prime Minister, the late Honorable Fiame Mataafa Faumuina Mulinuu II (b.1921-1975) as he lowered the New Zealand Government flag on its first independence. The late Fiame Mataafa Faumuina Mulinuu II was the father of the current Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa. Remarkably, this banknote features a father and daughter both appointed to the office of Prime Minister – within 60 years of Samoa’s independence. The only other country that I am aware of having a Father and Daughter team featured on a banknote is Bangladesh, and they have done that more than once.
In addition to the father and daughter team, the banknote also features for the first time, an all-female signatories on a Samoan banknote at any point in time – that is, the signatures of Samoa's first female Minister of Finance (Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo), and the first female Governor of the Central Bank of Samoa (Atalina Ainuu-Enari). This commemorative 60 tala banknote not only commemorates Samoa's 60 years of independence but also the accomplishments of Samoan women, and the unique importance of their role in the Samoan culture, as per the Samoan proverb “E au le ina’ilau a tamaitai” (Women can, and Women will).
This note is undated. The letters prefix for this series is ST and followed by 7-digit numbers. This note is printed on a cotton based paper substrate. This note is legal tender in Samoa.
Sixty Tala
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| Fiame Naomi Mataafa, the Prime Minister of Samoa |
Front - The portrait of Fiame Naomi Mataafa, the Prime Minister of Samoa. Prior to becoming the Prime Minister, she was the Deputy Prime Minister from 2016 to 2020 representing the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). In 2021, she joined the Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (or FAST - Samoa United in Faith party) and was elected as their leader in March 2021. The FAST party was founded on 30.07.2020. She is the seventh Prime Minister of Samoa. In the center is the 60 SAMOA independence commemorative logo, and to the right is the billowing Samoa flag in blue and red colours and the Southern Cross constellation in white.
Governor - Maiava Atalina Emma Ainuu-Enari (since 2011)
Minister of Finance - Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo (since 2021)
Watermark - Teuila flower (purple alpine), acronym CBS
Quantity - One million pieces at a cost of ST$2.0M+
Dimensions - 142mm x 73mm
Back - The reverse side of the banknote depicts Samoa first Prime Minister of Samoa, the Honourable Fiame Matāa’fa Faumuina Mulinuu II (b.1921-1975), as he lowered the New Zealand flag on its first Independence in 1962, together with the 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake (b.1904-1983) lowering the Samoan flag. The Western Samoan flag was then raised by joint heads of state Malietoa Tanumafili ll and Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole. Fiame Matāa’fa Faumuina Mulinuu II was also a Samoan paramount chief. To the right is the billowing flag of Samoa, and the commemorative logo is repeated on the bottom right side of the note.
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| Samoa independence celebration with Fiame Matāa’fa Faumuina Mulinuu II (b.1921-1975) lowering the flag of New Zealand |
Sixty Tala (Replacement Prefix ZZ)
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| Fiame Naomi Mataafa, the Prime Minister of Samoa |
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| Samoa Fiame Matāa’fa Faumuina Mulinuu II (b.1921-1975) lowering the flag of New Zealand |
Footnotes
Some interesting facts about Samoa
1) On 07.09.2009, Samoa switched from driving from the right to the left side of the road. The purpose for this change was to allow Samoans to use cheaper right-hand-drive vehicles sourced from Australia, New Zealand or Japan.
2) Samoa lay east of the International Date Line as one of the few last countries to see the sun set last. This was in line with neighbouring American Samoa. On 29.12.2011, the country switched its time zone from UTC-11:00 to UTC+13:00, thus skipping an entire calendar day of 30.12.2011 and effectively redrawing the international date Line. The reason given then the government was to improve business with New Zealand, Australia, China and other countries in Asia. The nearest nation to Samoa is American Samoa. American Samoa lies east of Samoa and the distance between them by sea is about 220 kilometers or about 30 minutes by air. Crossing the International DateLine between these two nations can gain/lose a full day within 30 minutes.
3) Nowadays, many central banks have issued banknotes with odd denomination values. This 60 tala is Samoa's first banknote that has an odd value other than those traditional denominations of say 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100 tala. Other countries have issued banknotes unusual values of say $0.88, $3, $7, 19 złotych, $40, 75 rupees, 75,000 rupiah and not to mention those Burma kyats notes issued in the 1980s too.
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