...Samoa - 10 Tala Polymer XVI Pacific Games 2019 Commemorative Specimen

Malo Saʻoloto Tutoʻatasi o Sāmoa

Independent State of Samoa

Central Bank of Samoa, Est 1984

Currency - Tala (WST)

One in Spirit / Tasi i le Agaga

 

On 31.08.2019, I posted the ten tala commemorative polymer note issued to celebrate the XVI Pacific Game. The game was held in the capital city of Apia from 07.07.2019 to 20.07.2019. You can read more about my original post here.

Here, I have posted the same note but printed with the word 'specimen' on the front and on the back. Unlike the normal issues which also came in a folder, this specimen note is not. Whilst specimen notes are usually printed with all zeros serial numbers, this note is also printed with a tiny control number at the bottom left corner. The control number printed on this note is 500, and I am not sure how many pieces have been issued but I am aware that there are no shortage of supply for such specimen notes, and this is all depending how much you are willing to pay for it. I have no idea how many of the specimen notes have been printed but if I have to guess and based on past experience, I guess it would be at least 500 pieces issued, after all mine is #500. Given Samoa has a rather small population, it is unlikely that they would have printed more than 500 pieces, unless these are given away as gifts to all the participants involved in the games, which I do not believe this is the case. Of course I could be wrong here.

 

Ten Tala Polymer Specimen

Minister of Finance - Mr Sili Epa Tuioti (tenure 2016-2021)

Governor - Ms Maiava Atalina Emma Ainuu-Enari (Tenure 2011-)

Date - 2019

Dimensions - 141mm x 72mm

Front - Twenty-two sports were held in this XVI Pacific Game. In the center the note depicts the images of three sports - women weightlifting, rugby and outrigger canoeing. The 22 games are archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cricket, football, golf, judo, lawn bowls, netball, outrigger canoeing, powerlifting, rugby league nines, rugby sevens, sailing, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, touch rugby, triathlon, volleyball and weightlifting. To the center left is the image of the game's logo for the tournament with the word Samoa and 2019 printed on the logo. Underneath the logo is the text of "One in Spirit/Tasi i le Agaga" (Samoan).

Back - Featuring children doing various activities, with a boy carrying coconuts with a tree branch over his shoulder, a young man rowing in a canoe and four boys playing rugby with a coconut as ball. In the background is a scene of a beach with coconut trees and smaller islands. As the game's logo is in a transparent feature, it is featured sideway's on top of the note. The game ended with New Caledonia winning the most medals with 76 gold, 55 silver and 51 bronze (total 182), followed by Papua New Guinea 38/57/35 (130) and Samoa 38/42/45 (125). Every nation that participated won at least one medal, and Tokelau was the winner of the wooden spoon with only one bronze.

 

...Barbados - Series 2024 Reprints of 5 notes

Barbados

(Little Britain)

 

Central Bank of Barbados (Est.1972)

Currency - Dollar (BBD)

Below are the latest series of polymer notes, first introduced in 2022. The notes that I have posted here are all reprints of the 2022 series, but with a new bank governor's signature and dated 2024. Only five notes posted here as I am not sure if the $10 has been printed or issued.

The first two notes of the $20 and $100 were reportedly released in June 2024. There are no changes to this series, except that the notes are printed with the year date of Series 2024 and also with the new signature.

Two Dollars Polymer

Front - John Redman Bovell (b.1855-1928). He was a scientist and agronomist, and was credited for saving the sugar industry in Barbados. The Trident symbol is printed on the top right hand corner. 

Signature - Dr Kelvin Greenidge (since 2023)

Date - Series 2024

Dimensions - 65.5mm x 150mm

Back - Morgan Lewis Windmill in St Andrew. This mill was used as a sugar windmill and ceased operating in 1947. Restoration on the windmill was carried out in 1997, and reopened in 1999 as a museum. This is still a working windmill. The site where this windmill is located is listed in the 1996 World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund. A partial map of Barbados is printed in the background.

Five Dollars Polymer

Front - Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell (b.1924-1967) was a cricketer and a Jamaican senator. He and together with Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott, formed what was known as 'The Three Ws' of the West Indian cricket and a cricket is named after them, He died of leukaemia in 1967 at the aged of 42 years old. The Trident symbol is printed on the top right hand corner.

Signature - Dr Kelvin Greenidge (since 2023)

Date - Series 2024

Dimensions - 65.5mm x 151mm

Back - 3Ws Oval UWI, men playing popular cricket games.

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty Dollars Polymer

Front - Samuel Jackson Prescod (b.1806-1871), was the first person of African descent to be elected to the Barbados parliament, in 1843. The Trident symbol is printed on the top right hand corner.

Signature - Dr Kelvin Greenidge (since 2023)

Date - Series 2024

Dimensions - 65.5mm x 151mm

Back - The parliament of Barbados existed since 1639 but not until the Parliament House was built in 1874. Initially this building was known as Public Buildings. Both the Lower and Upper houses sit in the same building.

 

 

 

 

Fifty Dollars Polymer

Front - Errol Walton Barrow (b.1920-1987). He was the first prime minister of Barbados and was in office from 1966 to 1976 and then re-elected in 1986 until his death in 1987. Prior to that, he was the Premier from 1961 to 1966. Barbados became independent from the British on 30.11.1966. The Trident symbol is printed on the top right hand corner.

Signature - Dr Kelvin Greenidge (since 2023)

Date - Series 2024

Dimensions - 65.5mm x 151.5mm

Back - Independence Square Bridgetown is located on the waterfront area in the heart of the capital city of Bridgetown. Construction for the square was started in 2005 and completed in 2007. A major attraction of the square is the larger than life Statue of Errol Walton Barrow (9 feet tall) dominating the whole square. Errol Barrow is sometimes also referred to as the Father of Independence in Barbados.

 

 

 

One Hundred Dollars Polymer

Front - Sir Grantley Herbert Adams (b.1898-1971) was the first Barbados Premier from 1953 to 1958, and then the first and only prime minister of the West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. The West Indies Federation was a union which included Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica and the Leeward and Windward Islands. Its union collapsed due to political conflicts between parties as to how the union should be governed. In 1998, he was named as one of the National Heroes of Barbados. The Trident symbol is printed on the top right hand corner.

Signature - Dr Kelvin Greenidge (since 2023)

Date - Series 2024

Dimensions - 65.5mm x 150mm

Back - Grantley Adams International Airport in Christ Church. This airport was reportedly started in September 1938 and was then known as Seawell Airport. The airport is located in the southern part of the island, next to the island's capital Bridgetown. In 1976, the airport was renamed Grantley Adams International Airport in honour of the Island's first Premier.

 

 

 

An interesting fact about this series is that if you place all the notes with the $2, $5 and $10 on the top row and the remaining notes in the bottom and join that together and you can see the outline map of the island of Barbados. (Note: the $10 posted here came from the Series 2022 issue).

...Namibia - $60 President Hage Gottfried Geingob Commemorative 2025

Republic of Namibia

Bank of Namibia (Est.1990)

Currency : Dollar (NAD)

 

On 05.03.2025, the central bank announced the release of a new commemorative polymer note of $60. This note was printed to honour the late President Hage Gottfried Geingob, and the note was released on 17.03.2025.

 

According to one report, this is a limited edition and all notes are printed with the prefix of HGG which is also the initials of the late President. I am not sure if replacement notes are also printed for this series. The central bank also announced that a new series of banknotes will also be issued in June 2025.

 

Whilst we all acknowledge that this is a commemorative note, nothing has been printed (text or logo) to say that this is one.

Sixty Dollars

Front - The portrait of the country's late President Hage Gottfried Geingob (b.1941-2024. This note honouring the late President Hage Geingob's 60 years of political service to the country. He was the third President of Namibia from 2015 to until his death in 2024. Before that, he was the first Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002. He died from cancer. In Namibia, he is honoured with a Rugby stadium, a High School, a University Medical School Campus and a highway all named after him. In the middle is an image of the Constituent Assembly of 1990. Under UY light, you see the flag of Namibia printed in the middle and the number 60 underneath.

Governor - Johannes !Gawaxab (tenure since 2020)

Date - 2025

Watermark - Hage Gottfried Geingobpro's profile facing right

Dimensions - 140.5mm x 70.5mm 

Back - In the far right is the image of Hage Gottfried Geingobpro holding a large trophy. It is believed that he is holding a football trophy. He was a big fan of the sport and was also once actively playing this game. According to one of his former teammates, his nickname as a footballer was 'Danger Point'. In the center are the images of wind turbines, a hydrogen tank, biomass and solar panels. The number 60 in a rectangle can be seen under UV light. The following quote is printed on the note: -

"THIS BEAUTIFUL HOUSE WE CALL NAMIBIA"

H.E. Dr. Hage G. Geingob

21st March 2015

...Bermuda - $2 And $5 Polymer Notes 2024 Series

Bermuda

(British Overseas Territory)

Bermuda Monetary Authority (Est.1969)

Currency - Dollar (BMD) 

 

Here are the two polymer notes released during the second week of November 2024. In 2009, Bermuda became the first country to issue a complete set of Hybrid banknotes with denominations of $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. These Hybrid notes were printed by De La Rue (DLR). Is DLR abandoning their Hybrid banknote technology? Few countries adopted Hybrid banknotes over the last 10 years or so, and these have since been replaced, mostly with polymer notes. Given that DLR's Hybrid notes were first introduced more than 10 years ago, it appears that they are not that popular and most countries that have issued Hybrid notes are mostly from small countries, mostly from the Pacific nations. Bermuda is now one of the very few countries that have their banknotes printed on paper, hybrid and now polymer substrate material.

 

It is obvious that these two polymer notes replaced the 2009 Hybrid series. The main features of these two polymer notes are the same as those hybrid notes first introduced in 2009 but with advanced security features thus making these more secure. As these are both printed on polymer substrate, they both come with a transparent window as expected for all polymer notes.

 

Like the previous Hybrid series printed with the effigy of Queen Elizabeth, and since the demise of the queen in 2022, the effigy of King Charles III is now used instead and is printed in the bottom left corner. This is the first time King Charles III's bust is printed on a banknote outside the United Kingdom. Unlike a few countries around that world that still have the British monarch as their Head of State, Bermuda continues to print their banknotes with the image of the British monarch, as Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory. A British Overseas Territory is not an independent nation, but it has it's own government. However, it's external affairs, defense and security are the responsibility of the British government.

An interesting fact about Bermuda is that it was named after a Spanish sailor called Juan de Bermudez, who discovered the islands in 1505 while sailing from Spain to the Caribbean on a provisioning voyaging journey. At the time of the discovery, it appears that the islands were uninhabited by any natives. As of 2023, Bermuda has a population of approximately 63,500 people.

If you are a collector and have been following these two notes, you will notice that they are selling quite expensive in the market. The Bermuda dollar is at par with the US dollar and yet they are selling 6 to 9 times the face value. It appears that the authority in Bermuda is discouraging or preventing their currency from exporting and as such there are not that many available in the market. Given that these are polymer notes and the growing demand in this hobby, the demand just simply exceeded the supply and as such the high price tag. Even those circulated polymer notes are also selling at a very high price too. In addition to the polymer series, those current or latest Hybrid series are also commanding a fairly high price too.

 

Whilst these are the two latest polymer notes issued by the bank, it is not sure if the remaining notes will follow suit.

 

Two Dollars 

Chairman - Donald A.M. Scott (since 2021)

Director - Philip Butterfield

Date - 20 February 2024

Dimensions - 69mm x 141mm

Front - The main feature is a Bermuda Bluebird. King Charles III's effigy is printed in the lower left corner, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth in the previous series. The Plumeria rubra flowers are printed in the background. On top of the note is a reflective, mirror-like image of a tuna fish. On the transparent window is a partially see-through window, showing a cloudy sky above water and an underwater scene. The letters of BMA are also printed on the transparent window area. Two sail boats are sailing in the open sea. A triangle raise dots of 14 is added to the note to assist with those visual impairments. 

I personally still find it strange to have the image of the British monarch King Charles III printed in the bottom left of the note instead in the top left or right corner, just like those postage stamps.

Back - Dockyard's Clock tower. I believe this Dockyard's Clock tower is located in the Clock Tower Shopping Mall in Ireland Island. Next to the tower is a statue of Neptune at the Bermuda Maritime Museum. In the background is the Clocktower Mall. On the transparent window area, a hibiscus flower is added to the design. On top of the transparent window is a small butterfly in pink and blue colours.

  

Five Dollars

 

Chairman - Donald A.M. Scott (since 2021)

Director - Karel Van-Hulle

Date - 20 February 2024

Dimensions - 69mm x 141mm

 

Front - The main feature is a Blue marlin leaping out of the water. King Charles III's effigy is printed in the lower left corner, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth in the previous series. In the background are the Easter Lily flowers. On top of the note is a reflective, mirror-like image of a tuna fish. On the transparent window is a partially see-through window, showing a cloudy sky above water and an underwater scene. The letters of BMA are also printed on the transparent window area. Three dolphins leaping out of an open sea. A circular raised dot of 12 is added to the note to assist with those visual impairments.

 

Back - Somerset bridge, connecting the islands of Somerset Island and the Main Islands (Great Bermuda). This is a hand drawn bridge and is the smallest in the world. When the bridge is opened, it creates a gap of 32-inch to allow the passage of a sailboat's mast. Above that is a view of Horseshoe bay beach. On the transparent window area, a hibiscus flower is added to the design. On top of the transparent window is a dolphin added to the design as a registration feature.

 

...Brunei - 50 Ringgit Commemorative Reprint Dated 2022

 نڬارا بروني دارالسلام‎

(Negara Brunei Darussalam)

 

Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam

Currency : Ringgit (BND)

 

Here I have added the 50 ringgit polymer note printed with the year date of 2022. This is a reprint of the 2017 commemorative series which celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the accession to the throne of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien lll. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah became the Sultan of Brunei on 05.10.1967, following the abdication of his father the late Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III (b.1914-1986).

At the time of the accession of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, he was only 21 years old, and today (2025), he has been the sultan for 58 years. As an absolute monarch, he also held the positions of Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

 

The design of this note is the same as the one that was first released in 2017, except for a new year date printed on the back - 2022.

 

At this moment, only the F/5 2022 has been sighted. It is not sure if F/6 is also part of the 2022 series.

 

Fifty Ringgit (Prefix F/5)

Front - Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien lll. He is the 29th Sultan of Brunei and accessed to the throne on 05.10.1967. He was born in Istana Darussalam,  (Palace) in the capital city of Bandar Seri Bagawan. He is also the eldest son of the late Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The portrait on the note depicted him in full military uniform. To the center left is the scene of the Sultan's coronation ceremony that took place on 01.08.1968, where his father, Omar Ali Saifuddien III placed the Mahkota (Crown of Brunei) onto the Sultan's head. In the background is the Jame' Ars Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. This mosque was constructed in 1994 and is the largest mosque in Brunei.

 

Signature - Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (signed in Jawi language)

Dimensions - 159.5mm x 75.5mm 

 

Back - The sultan surrounded his subjects and was accompanied by his eldest son Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah bin Hassanal Bolkiah. Below the image is printed with the following words :- 

 

50th Anniversary of His Majesty's accession to the throne. 

 

The date 05.10.2017 is also printed on the top left hand corner of the note.