Natural Treasures

AuthorMelinda Weir
PositionStaff of Finance & Development.
Pages66-67
64 FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT | March 2020
CURRENCY NOTES
THE VALUE
of a crisp banknote is eas y to understand.
But the value of a country’s natural la ndscape,
facing threats including climate change, natural
disast ers, and overzea lous developers, i s sometimes
harder to see—unti l it’s possibly too late.
In Samoa, population just under 200,00 0, there
is a history of celebrating the f ragile natural beauty
of its surroundings on the countr y’s currency, the
Samoan Tala.
Samoan bank notes—in every shade of the
rainbow—depict in f‌luential people and institu-
tions, but also the South Pacif‌ic countr y’s unique
and irreplaceable natura l environment: a cascad-
ing waterfall (Sopoaga Falls); Samoa’s national
f‌lower, the teuila, also k nown as red ginger f‌lower;
the national bird (the manumea, an enda ngered
species found only in Samoa); and a pristine white
sandy beach.
Samoan currency, last issued i n 2008, has in turn
received awards for its design ae sthetic; the vibrant
yellow $20 tala bill, featuring Sopoaga Falls a nd
a manumea, was sing led out as one of the world’s
“most beautiful” banknotes by Banknote World.
Carbon neutral, climate positive
More recently the commemorative $10 tala bill,
printed in honor of the 2019 Pacif‌ic Games, which
Samoa hosted, was a nominee for the Internationa l
Bank Note Society’s Banknote of the Year.
e limited-edition bank note celebrates the
themes of sports and youth, depicting chi ldren
playing rugby and adult athletes competing in
rowing and women’s weight lifting.
e vivid blue polymer bill is also belie ved
to be the world’s f‌irst carbon-neutral bank note,
according to Central B ank of Samoa Bank ing
and Currency Serv ices Manager Lea Collins. e
emissions used in production of the bank notes
were of‌fset by purchases of ca rbon dioxide savings
elsewhere, according to the c entral bank and bill
design f‌irm De La Rue.
It was especially f‌itt ing, Collins told F&D, that
the banknote’s rollout last year was tied to t he
f‌irst “green” Pacif‌ic Games, which presented an
opportunity for host Samoa to ca mpaign against
single-use plastics a nd promote carbon of‌fsets for
participating countries.
Urgency of action
e carbon-neutral bank note was issued against a
backdrop of growing concern about clim ate change
in Samoa and internationally.
Living in a small state made up of two main
islands, Samoans are increasingly accustomed
to damage from ext reme weather events, in
addition to threats from rising sea le vels and
climate-related natura l disasters such as Cyclone
Gita in 2018.
Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sai lele
Malielegaoi has advoc ated more urgent interna-
tional action against climate change, calling it an
Samoa’s $20 tala bill has been honored for its design. It features the national bird (the manumea), national
f‌lower (the teuila), and Sopoaga Falls.
PHOTOS: CENT RAL BANK O F SAMOA
Natural Treasures
Samoa honors its environmental heritage in colorful currency
Melinda Weir
64 FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT | March 2020

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