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10 Tala S.M.S. Bismarck
| Issuer | Samoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
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| Currency | Tala (1967-date) |
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| Obverse description | The national arms of Samoa, consisting of a shield bearing a central cross and five stars above a stylized globe, enclosed within a laurel wreath, occupies the central field. A scroll bearing the national motto appears below the shield. The legend 'SAMOA I SISIFO' arcs along the upper periphery in Latin script, while the denomination '$10' is displayed prominently in the lower field beneath the arms. |
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| Reverse description | A detailed rendering of the German Imperial Navy corvette S.M.S. Bismarck is depicted in profile sailing to the right, her full complement of square-rigged sails billowing in the wind, with intricate rigging visible throughout. The vessel's hull is shown with fine detail above the waterline. The legend 'HISTORY OF SEAFARING' arcs across the lower field in serif lettering, with 'S.M.S. BISMARCK' inscribed directly below, and the date '2008' appears at the bottom of the field beneath the ship. |
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| Additional information |
The SMS Bismarck was a German cruiser that served as flagship of the Imperial German East Asia Squadron and was stationed at Apia, Samoa, before the outbreak of World War I. When war was declared in August 1914, the German colonial administration in Samoa surrendered to a New Zealand expeditionary force after just four days — one of the earliest Allied occupations of the war. The irony of a Samoan coin commemorating a German warship tied to that colonial loss is not lost on serious collectors of Pacific numismatics.