1 Vatu

Vanuatu gained independence from its Franco-British Condominium administration in 1980, making the 1983 introduction of the vatu coinage one of the earliest concrete expressions of that sovereignty — replacing a currency system that had required two colonial powers to agree on virtually every monetary decision. The Reserve Bank of Vanuatu was itself established only in 1980, leaving a three-year gap before small-denomination coinage reached circulation.

The nickel brass composition was a deliberate economy measure common among Pacific island nations of the period, chosen for corrosion resistance in humid coastal environments.