The Samoan Islands essentially consist of the US territory American Samoa and the country of Samoa. And it is the country of Samoa (officially The Independent State of Samoa) that has issued a couple of very nice bat coins. And here is one of the best.
This is the 2010 Samoa 10 dollar coin. It is made of 0.925 pure silver and weighs in at a hefty 0.80 ounces (25g). It is a legal tender coin, KM#173 in the catalog of world coins, and exactly no one would ever spend one. Only 2,500 of these were minted and all are proof quality coins, so on the rare end of the scale and oh so good-looking. The eyes, for reasons unknown to me, are inlaid red Swarovski crystals, which give the coin a very unique attribute and fortunately do not end up making the bat look evil. In real life, the bat has brown eyes.
This is the 2010 Samoa 10 dollar coin. It is made of 0.925 pure silver and weighs in at a hefty 0.80 ounces (25g). It is a legal tender coin, KM#173 in the catalog of world coins, and exactly no one would ever spend one. Only 2,500 of these were minted and all are proof quality coins, so on the rare end of the scale and oh so good-looking. The eyes, for reasons unknown to me, are inlaid red Swarovski crystals, which give the coin a very unique attribute and fortunately do not end up making the bat look evil. In real life, the bat has brown eyes.
2010 Samoa 10 dollar coin with the Samoan Flying Fox (Pteropus samoensis)
This coin features a great bat, the Samoan Flying Fox (Pteropus samoensis). And just for full disclosure, it is known as the pe'a vao in the local language. This bat is a big guy, coming in with a wingspan of around 3 feet, but not one of the giant bats. It is a fruit eater, but also chews on leaves and flowers (drinking the juice and spitting out the rest as a pellet). And, unlike most bats that fly at night, this large bat is quite easy to see as it is diurnal, foraging in the mornings and evenings when there is still plenty of light out to watch them.
Overall, the bat is locally common, but unlike many flying foxes it roosts mainly alone or in small family groups and the males maintain territories. So it is hard to estimate the population of these bats as there aren't just a few large roosts to visit. And while it is known from the Samoan Islands and also Fiji, the overall trend seems to be that the population is declining due to habitat loss and in part to hunting (although strong conservation efforts have reduced the threat of hunting significantly).
An interesting side note is that Samoa is, or was, home to one of the giant bats. With a wingspan over 5 feet, the Large Samoan Flying Fox was discovered on an expedition in the mid-1800s, but not actually described as a new species until 2009 (from the collected specimen found in a jar at the Smithsonian I believe). It has the Latin name of Pteropus coxi, and is widely considered extinct.
Overall, the bat is locally common, but unlike many flying foxes it roosts mainly alone or in small family groups and the males maintain territories. So it is hard to estimate the population of these bats as there aren't just a few large roosts to visit. And while it is known from the Samoan Islands and also Fiji, the overall trend seems to be that the population is declining due to habitat loss and in part to hunting (although strong conservation efforts have reduced the threat of hunting significantly).
An interesting side note is that Samoa is, or was, home to one of the giant bats. With a wingspan over 5 feet, the Large Samoan Flying Fox was discovered on an expedition in the mid-1800s, but not actually described as a new species until 2009 (from the collected specimen found in a jar at the Smithsonian I believe). It has the Latin name of Pteropus coxi, and is widely considered extinct.
The reverse of the coin is far more standard issue. It is the national arms along with the country's name and the denomination.
But, since this is a proof issue, it has the fun ability to look different depending on how you light it. So here is the same coin with different lighting to show the mirror-like finish on the flat surfaces and the cameo finish on the raised surfaces.
But, since this is a proof issue, it has the fun ability to look different depending on how you light it. So here is the same coin with different lighting to show the mirror-like finish on the flat surfaces and the cameo finish on the raised surfaces.
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