Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
10 Vatu Ornithoptera Priamus Urvillianus
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Vanuatu |
|---|---|
| Year | 2006 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | KM#47 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse displays a full-colour applied image of the birdwing butterfly Ornithoptera priamus urvillianus at centre, depicted with wings spread to reveal its striking iridescent blue and black upper wing surfaces and a pale yellow abdomen. The butterfly is shown in a naturalistic dorsal view, its fine antennae and body rendered in detail against the polished silver-plated field. A continuous beaded inner border frames the central design. The scientific name Ornithoptera priamus urvillianus arcs along the upper field in italic lettering, and the denomination 10 VATU is inscribed at the base of the design. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Ornithoptera priamus urvillianus 10 VATU |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The *Ornithoptera priamus urvillianus* — the Urville's birdwing — is native to the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago and the northern Solomons, named after the French explorer Dumont d'Urville whose 1826–1829 Pacific voyage produced significant entomological collections. Vanuatu issued this piece as part of a broader Pacific wildlife series during a period when the Reserve Bank was actively expanding its commemorative program to generate foreign exchange revenue — a funding mechanism many small island nations came to rely on heavily through the 1990s and 2000s.
The silver-plated copper-nickel format, rather than solid silver, kept production costs low enough to justify the series commercially.