{"title":"Vanuatu","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"vanuatu-p-8-200-vatu-1995-unc-melanesian-chief-with-spear","title":"Vanuatu P-8 200 Vatu 1995 UNC—Melanesian Chief with Spear","description":"\u003csection id=\"fiche_descriptions\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan itemprop=\"itemListElement\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ListItem\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eColor\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e: Purple and violet on multicolor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFront\u003c\/strong\u003e: Coat of Arms; Melanesian chief standing with spear at center.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBack\u003c\/strong\u003e: Traditional Parliament in session and the \"United in Peace We Progress\" statue.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark\u003c\/strong\u003e: Melanesian male head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere is Vanuatu?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"84\"\u003eVanuatu is in the \u003cstrong data-start=\"25\" data-end=\"42\"\u003eSouth Pacific\u003c\/strong\u003e — specifically in \u003cstrong data-start=\"61\" data-end=\"74\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eMelanesia\u003c\/strong\u003e, between:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"86\" data-end=\"211\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"86\" data-end=\"124\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"88\" data-end=\"124\"\u003eSolomon Islands (to the northwest)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"125\" data-end=\"161\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"127\" data-end=\"161\"\u003eNew Caledonia (to the southwest)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"162\" data-end=\"184\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"164\" data-end=\"184\"\u003eFiji (to the east)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"185\" data-end=\"211\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"187\" data-end=\"211\"\u003eAustralia (farther west)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"213\" data-end=\"364\"\u003eGeopolitically and culturally it’s part of the \u003cstrong data-start=\"260\" data-end=\"290\"\u003eSouth Pacific island world\u003c\/strong\u003e, even though in broader continental terms it’s grouped under \u003cstrong data-start=\"352\" data-end=\"363\"\u003eOceania\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"31\" data-end=\"59\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"60\" data-end=\"394\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"60\" data-end=\"175\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"62\" data-end=\"175\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"62\" data-end=\"79\"\u003ePre-European:\u003c\/strong\u003e Austronesian–Melanesian societies for ~3,000 years, dozens of distinct languages and chiefdoms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"176\" data-end=\"394\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"178\" data-end=\"394\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"178\" data-end=\"192\"\u003e1906–1980:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong data-start=\"197\" data-end=\"225\"\u003eNew Hebrides Condominium\u003c\/strong\u003e — jointly ruled by \u003cstrong data-start=\"245\" data-end=\"267\"\u003eBritain and France\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cbr data-start=\"268\" data-end=\"271\"\u003eTwo laws, two police forces, two school systems, even two jails. One of the strangest colonial arrangements ever devised.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"413\" data-end=\"433\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"415\" data-end=\"433\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"415\" data-end=\"431\"\u003eIndependence: 30 July 1980, \u003c\/strong\u003ename changed from \u003cem data-start=\"454\" data-end=\"468\"\u003eNew Hebrides\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cstrong data-start=\"472\" data-end=\"483\"\u003eVanuatu\u003c\/strong\u003e (“Our land forever” in several local languages).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"534\" data-end=\"552\"\u003eLanguages\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"567\" data-end=\"763\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"567\" data-end=\"633\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"569\" data-end=\"633\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"569\" data-end=\"580\"\u003eBislama\u003c\/strong\u003e – English-based creole, real everyday lingua franca.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"634\" data-end=\"689\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"636\" data-end=\"689\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"636\" data-end=\"647\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/strong\u003e – government, courts, anglophone schools.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"690\" data-end=\"763\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"692\" data-end=\"763\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"692\" data-end=\"702\"\u003eFrench\u003c\/strong\u003e – parallel school system, administration, Catholic networks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"765\" data-end=\"776\"\u003eIndigenous:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"777\" data-end=\"884\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"777\" data-end=\"884\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"779\" data-end=\"884\"\u003eOver \u003cstrong data-start=\"784\" data-end=\"808\"\u003e120 native languages\u003c\/strong\u003e for a population of ~336,000 — the \u003cstrong data-start=\"844\" data-end=\"883\"\u003ehighest linguistic density on Earth\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"886\" data-end=\"912\"\u003eFun facts (WMS-worthy)\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"913\" data-end=\"1392\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"913\" data-end=\"983\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"915\" data-end=\"983\"\u003eOne of the world’s most linguistically diverse countries per capita.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"984\" data-end=\"1053\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"986\" data-end=\"1053\"\u003eThe only state ever jointly ruled by two colonial powers as equals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"1054\" data-end=\"1116\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1056\" data-end=\"1116\"\u003eHome to active volcanoes you can walk up to (Yasur, Ambrym).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"1117\" data-end=\"1200\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1119\" data-end=\"1200\"\u003eFamous for \u003cstrong data-start=\"1130\" data-end=\"1145\"\u003eland diving\u003c\/strong\u003e (Naghol) — a ritual ancestor of modern bungee jumping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"1201\" data-end=\"1285\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1203\" data-end=\"1285\"\u003eSome islands still use \u003cstrong data-start=\"1226\" data-end=\"1241\"\u003eshell money\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong data-start=\"1246\" data-end=\"1261\"\u003etusked pigs\u003c\/strong\u003e as ceremonial currency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-start=\"1286\" data-end=\"1392\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1288\" data-end=\"1392\"\u003eBislama lets you say philosophically compact things like:\u003cbr data-start=\"1345\" data-end=\"1348\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"1350\" data-end=\"1367\"\u003e“Yumi stap wan”\u003c\/em\u003e — “We are one (people).”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1394\" data-end=\"1495\"\u003eSmall, remote, and administratively baroque — but culturally one of the densest places on the planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51632736862519,"sku":"VU9UNC","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/Vanuatu8o.jpg?v=1769663749"},{"product_id":"vanuatu-p-12-200-vatu-2020-unc-pink","title":"Vanuatu P-12 POLYMER 200 Vatu ND(2014)—Pink—Arms—Family \u0026 Stadium","description":"\u003cp\u003eVanuatu's 200 Vatu \u003cstrong\u003epolymer\u003c\/strong\u003e note is a quietly spectacular piece of Pacific currency — a small island nation's big statement in security printing. Printed by \u003cstrong\u003eOberthur Fiduciaire \u003c\/strong\u003eof France on \u003cstrong\u003epolymer substrate\u003c\/strong\u003e, it features three patches of color-changing iridescent ink that shift from pink-brown to gold depending on the angle of light, a tactile raised bump on the obverse, and a reverse celebrating the Vanuatu family and the \u003cstrong\u003earchipelago's\u003c\/strong\u003e geography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e pink-brown on multicolor underprint; iridescent ink patches shift to gold on tilt\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoat of Arms \u003c\/strong\u003eof Vanuatu at center with phrase \"Long God Yumi Satrap\" - Bislama (a type of pidgin English) meaning \"In God We Stand\".\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree patches of color-changing iridescent ink on both sides — pink-brown to gold depending on tilt\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSingle raised tactile bump near the upper edge at center (security feature for the visually impaired)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLegend:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eRESERVE BANK OF VANUATU \/ 200 \/ TWO HUNDRED \/ VATU\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rbv.gov.vu\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSimeon Malachi Athy\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov., Reserve Bank of Vanuatu\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Maki_Simelum\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMaki Simelum\u003c\/a\u003e, Minister of Finance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap of Vanuatu archipelago\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFamily group — representing Vanuatu's kastom (custom) culture and community values\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLegend:\u003c\/strong\u003e (denomination and country name)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eND(2014) — hand-signed signatures, Gov. SMA \u0026amp; Min. MS — may be this note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eND(2014) — printed signatures, Gov. SMA \u0026amp; Min. MS — may be this note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eND(2020) — reprint, first prefix AA20\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-12\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e (polymer — clear window security feature)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Polymer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 130 × 65 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reserve Bank of Vanuatu\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Oberthur_Technologies\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOberthur Fiduciaire\u003c\/a\u003e (FCO), France\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vanuatu Vatu (1982–date) — 1 vatu = 100 centimes (centimes not used in practice)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bislama, English, French\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Vanuatu\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Vanuatu\" comes from the indigenous words \u003cem\u003evanua\u003c\/em\u003e (land\/home) and \u003cem\u003etu\u003c\/em\u003e (stand\/independent) — meaning roughly \"land that stands forever\" or \"our land stands up\"; adopted at independence in 1980, replacing the colonial name New Hebrides.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e Port Vila — city proper ~51,000; greater urban area ~65,000\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Vila\" is a Portuguese\/Spanish word for \"town\" or \"village\"; \"Port\" added by European settlers for the harbor; the full name Port Vila has been in use since the colonial era.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~340,000 (UN 2024) — comparable to Iceland or Belize\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12,189 km² (4,706 mi²) — comparable to Connecticut or Jamaica\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$3,200 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Copra, kava, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e No land borders — archipelago of ~80 islands in the South Pacific; neighbors include New Caledonia (south), Solomon Islands (north), Fiji (east)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bislama (creole, lingua franca); English; French; plus ~138 indigenous Melanesian languages — one of the highest language densities per capita on Earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ni-Vanuatu\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNi-Vanuatu\u003c\/a\u003e (~99%); other Pacific islanders, Europeans, and Asians (~1%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUN\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commonwealth_of_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCommonwealth of Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1980); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pacific_Islands_Forum\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePacific Islands Forum\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Organisation_internationale_de_la_Francophonie\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOrganisation internationale de la Francophonie\u003c\/a\u003e; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_Trade_Organization\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWTO\u003c\/a\u003e (2012); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Melanesian_Spearhead_Group\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMelanesian Spearhead Group\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMelanesian settlement (~3,000 years ago) — among the most linguistically diverse populations on Earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEuropean contact (1606) — Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós; later charted by Captain Cook (1774), who named the islands New Hebrides\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnglo-French Condominium (1906–1980) — jointly administered by Britain and France in one of history's most unusual colonial arrangements; two parallel administrations, two legal systems, two police forces, two currencies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndependence (30 July 1980) — Republic of Vanuatu proclaimed; Jimmy Stevens's Nagriamel rebellion on Santo island suppressed with Papua New Guinean military assistance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRepublic of Vanuatu (1980–date) — \u003cstrong\u003ethis note issued during this period\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVanuatu Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVanuatu has the highest language density per capita of any country on Earth — ~138 distinct indigenous languages for a population of 340,000, roughly one language per 2,500 people\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKava, a sedative drink made from the root of the \u003cem\u003ePiper methysticum\u003c\/em\u003e plant, is Vanuatu's national drink and a major export; kava bars (nakamals) open at dusk across the islands and are a central social institution\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe island of Tanna is home to the John Frum cargo cult, which worships an American military figure and holds annual ceremonies featuring bamboo rifles and marching in imitation of WWII US soldiers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVanuatu's land-diving ritual on Pentecost Island — men leap from wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles — is the origin of bungee jumping; it has been practiced for centuries as a yam harvest ritual\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVanuatu consistently ranks among the happiest countries on Earth in the Happy Planet Index, despite being one of the poorest by GDP\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe country sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has nine active volcanoes, including Yasur on Tanna — one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes, erupting almost continuously for at least 800 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePolymer in the Pacific\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVanuatu adopted polymer banknotes — the same substrate used by Australia, New Zealand, and Canada — for their durability in a tropical island environment where heat, humidity, and salt air destroy paper notes rapidly. \u003cstrong\u003eThe 200 Vatu P-12 is printed by Oberthur Fiduciaire of France\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the world's premier security printers, and incorporates iridescent color-shifting ink, a tactile raised bump, and UV-reactive features that make it one of the most technically sophisticated notes in the Pacific island region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Condominium That Shouldn't Have Worked\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides (1906–1980) was one of the strangest colonial arrangements in history. \u003cstrong\u003eTwo colonial powers administered the same islands simultaneously\u003c\/strong\u003e — with separate British and French courts, police forces, hospitals, schools, and currencies. Ni-Vanuatu people could choose which legal system to fall under. The arrangement was so chaotic it was nicknamed the \"Pandemonium\" by residents. Independence in 1980 brought the Vatu, a single currency to replace the dual colonial monetary system, and this note is a direct descendant of that monetary unification.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this note and hold a piece of one of the Pacific's most extraordinary nations — 80 islands, 138 languages, active volcanoes, land-diving, kava at dusk, and a currency that replaced colonial chaos with a single, beautifully printed piece of polymer.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52110595785015,"sku":"VUP12UNC","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/12o_71ee004e-64fe-440b-9d78-b3e85abfcc2d.jpg?v=1780317020"}],"url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/collections\/vanuatu.oembed","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}