Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia (an overseas country of the French Republic), located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political center of French Polynesia.

The first European to set eyes on the island of Tahiti was Pedro Fernandes de Queirós in 1606, while serving the Spanish Crown. Tahiti was briefly a Spanish possession from 1772 to 1775, but the Spanish mission on Tahiti was abandoned when Spanish foreign priorities changed.

It was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until its annexation by France in 1880.

After the departure of the Spanish mission, a great tribal chief called Tū unified the island of Tahiti, took the title of king and gave himself the name Pōmare. He became Pōmare I, founding the Pōmare Dynasty and his lineage would be the first to unify Tahiti from 1788-1791. He and his descendants founded and expanded Tahitian influence to all of the lands that now constitute modern French Polynesia.

In 1842, during the reign of Queen Pomare IV, Tahiti in became a French protectorate, but remained at independent Kingdom.

The island was proclaimed a colony of France in 1880 although it was not until 1946 that the indigenous Tahitians were legally authorized to be French citizens. French is the only official language although the Tahitian language (Reo Maohi) is widely spoken.

This is the first coin ever issued by Tahiti.