Samoa - 2012 50 Tala Independence Commemorative Specimen #001

Fifty Tala

ND2012, P43bs

Reverse

This is a 50 Tala specimen note issued in 2012 celebrating the country's 50th anniversary of Independence from New Zealand in 1962. The official name of Samoa is the Independence State of Samoa (Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Sāmoa). The German ruled Samoa (then known as Western Samoa) from 1900 to 1914. Following the outbreak of world war 1 in 1914, New Zealand took over the administration from the German and ruled between 1914 to 1962 until its independence. In 1997, the country changed its name from Western Samoa to just Samoa. This note has the specimen control number of 001, or the first note of the specimen series. It is interesting to note that apart from changing its name, the country had two other major changes - 1) driving systems - from the right side (US system) to the left side (Australia style) in 2009, and; 2) in 2011, the nation skipped Friday and moved from 29.12.2011 (Thursday) to 31.12.2011 (Saturday). This means that the country from being the last to see the sun set to the first to see the sun rise. The purpose of this was to bring the nation closer to it's main trading partners, such as Australia and New Zealand. Obviously those who were born on 30th December didn't get to celebrate their birthdays that year. Well, it's only one year out of your entire life, much better than those who were born in a leap year, right?

p/s . . . I have now been told by someone that only 200 pieces printed for this specimen series.