100 Kina

The 100 Kina in polymer was part of a broader push by Pacific island central banks — many working through Note Printing Australia — to migrate their highest-denomination notes onto substrate that could survive the humidity and handling conditions that destroy paper currency quickly in tropical economies. Papua New Guinea's climate is genuinely punishing on banknotes, and the move was practical rather than ceremonial.

P#44 sits at the top of the circulating series. The clear window incorporated into NPA polymer production during this period used technology developed domestically in Australia, and its integration into Pacific-region issues gave NPA a strong regional foothold against competitors like De La Rue.