½ Poe rava Hikueru

Hikueru is an atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago historically synonymous with pearl diving — for centuries the primary source of natural Pinctada margaritifera pearls in the Pacific. The poe rava denomination was introduced specifically for French Polynesia's local pearl trade economy, functioning as a unit tied to that industry's accounting traditions rather than emerging from general monetary policy in Paris.

Aluminium was chosen for small-denomination Pacific issues partly because of its resistance to the salt-air corrosion that destroys copper-based alloys in low-lying atoll environments.