Catalog
10 Vatu Ornithoptera goliath supremus
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Vanuatu |
|---|---|
| Year | 2006 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Reverse description | A full-color depiction of the Goliath birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera goliath supremus) occupies the central field, its wings rendered in vivid yellow and green with bold black margins, displayed in dorsal view with antennae extended. A beaded border encircles the entire design. The scientific name "Ornithoptera goliath supremus" arcs along the upper periphery in italic Latin lettering, with the denomination "10 VATU" inscribed along the lower border. A small designer's monogram appears to the right of the butterfly in the field. |
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| Reverse lettering | Ornithoptera goliath supremus CCC 10 VATU |
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| Additional information |
Vanuatu's wildlife coin series of the mid-2000s was produced primarily for the collector export market rather than domestic circulation — the archipelago nation has never had the collector base to absorb issues of this type internally. The Goliath birdwing, Ornithoptera goliath, is native to New Guinea rather than Vanuatu itself, which raises the obvious question of why the Reserve Bank issued it at all. The answer is commercial: licensing exotic fauna imagery was a revenue strategy adopted by several small Pacific island issuers during this period.
Silver-plated copper-nickel on a 31.1g flan mimics the heft of a genuine silver crown without the metal cost.