On Wednesday, 13 December 2023, the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) announced that it is modernizing its existing 5-, 10- and 20-tālā banknotes by converting the banknotes from cotton-based paper to a polymer substrate – marking a significant development in the nation's currency system.
Designed and printed by De La Rue, CBS has developed these new banknotes using the advanced Safeguard® polymer substrate.
The upgraded polymer banknotes will be issued into circulation in stages. CBS will commence with the issuance of the 5-tālā denomination on Monday, 18 December 2023 to accommodate the high demand during the festive season while the 10- and 20-tālā denominations are scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2024.
Following the successful issuance of the commemorative 10-tālā polymer note in 2019, CBS has extended this technology to the 5- and 20-tālā denominations for the first time. The polymer 10 has demonstrated exceptional longevity and maintained a higher quality compared to its paper predecessor. The polymer banknotes are designed to last longer, stay cleaner, and uphold a higher standard of quality, reflecting CBS's commitment to both durability and aesthetics. The lower denomination banknotes are subjected to extreme wear and tear, and it is important that their durability is enhanced.
The basic designs of the new banknotes are the same as the corresponding banknotes first issued in 2008:
5-Tālā: A beach scene is pictured on the front. The back shows Robert Louis Stevenson's former home located near Apia, Samoa. It was built at the beginning of the 1890s by Robert Louis Stevenson, who spent his last years of life there. The house then became the residence of the Governor of German Samoa and later became the seat of the New Zealand Mandate Administration and Head of State of Samoa.
10-Tālā: The Samoan rugby ream being crowned champions at the International Rugby Board Hong Kong Sevens in 2007 is pictured on the front. The back shows Samoan schoolchildren.
20-Tālā: The cascading Sinaloa waterfall on Savai'i island, with a vertical drop of 220 meters, is pictured on the front. The back shows the manumea (Samoa's national bird) and teuila (Samoa's national flower).
The official press release reports the following sophisticated security features and distinct properties for these new issues:
- The distinctive feel of polymer notes easily differentiates them from existing paper banknotes.
- The transparent window displaying the teuila flower on each denomination makes the banknotes very difficult to counterfeit.
- Under ultraviolet light, one sees the GEMINI™ feature fluoresce in dual colors and a prominent denomination number in a phosphorescent green block feature called BLINK™.
- Special printing techniques on the surface and embedded within the polymer substrate deliver a richness to the banknote designs and ensure that the ink will adhere to the surface.
The new banknotes include a feature unique to polymer called Tactile Emboss, where a specific pattern of raised dots can be felt on each denomination to assist the visually impaired in identifying their notes. The $5 has 6 dots, the $10 has 8 dots and the $20 has 10 dots.
