KINGDOM OF TONGA
REIGN OF TAUFA'AHAU TUPOU IV (1965-2006)
CONSTITUTION CENTENARY
RARE GOLD PA'ANGA COIN CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 68 ULTRA CAMEO
OBV: PORTRAIT HEAD OF QUEEN SALOTE TOPOU III LEFT; LIFE DATES BENEATH.
REV: NATIONAL ARMS WITH WREATHED CROWN AND FLANKING BANNERS; DENOMINATION ABOVE.
KM #55
TONGA WAS UNITED INTO A KINGDOM IN 1845 BY AN ORATOR AND WARRIOR NAMED TAUFA'AHAU. HE WAS BAPTISED IN 1831 WITH THE NAME OF SIAOSI (MEANING "GEORGE" IN TONGAN AND NAMED AFTER GEORGE III OF GREAT BRITAIN). SIAOSI (GEORGE) TUPOU I REIGNED FROM 1845-1893. WITH THE HELP OF A CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY HE DECLARED TONGA A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY IN 1875, EMANCIPATING THE SERFS, GRANTING FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, LAND TENURE AND A CODE OF LAW. HE ADOPTED A WESTERN ROYAL STYLE AND LIMITED THE POWER OF THE OTHER CHIEFS.
PICTURED ON THE OBVERSE OF THIS COIN A DECADE AFTER HER PASSING IS QUEEN SALOTE MAFILE'O PILOLEVU TUPOU III (b. 1900, d. 1965), QUEEN REGNANT OF THE POLYNESIAN SOVEREIGN STATE OF TONGA. SHE WAS KEENLY INTERRESTED IN PRESERVING THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF HER PEOPLE. HER MARRIAGE TO HER CONSORT LED TO THE ROYAL LINE UNITING THE BLOOD OF THREE ANCIENT GRAND DYNASTIC LINEAGES. SHE WAS A TALL WOMAN, STANDING AT 6'3". HER TONGAN NAME IS AN EQUIVILENT TO THE WESTERN NAME OF CHARLOTTE.
THE KINGDOM OF TONGA NEVER LOST ITS SOVEREIGNITY TO A FOREIGN COLONIAL OR EUROPEAN POWER AND IS THE ONLY KINGDOM IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
CONTAINS 15.0 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD (0.4422 OZ AGW)
26 MM IN DIAMETER
ONLY 105 MINTED!
