5 Tālā

Western Samoa's Monetary Board was established in 1974, replacing the Bank of Western Samoa as the currency authority — a shift that reflected the government's desire for tighter central control over monetary policy rather than commercial bank involvement in note issuance. The 1980 series, of which this is a part, was among the first issues to consolidate that authority visually and institutionally under the Monetary Board's name.

De La Rue's involvement was standard for Pacific island nations of the period, with the London printer handling output for numerous newly independent states simultaneously.