20 Francs Non-magnetic

The IEOM — a Paris-based institution established in 1966 to manage monetary affairs across French Pacific territories — issued this non-magnetic variant to replace the earlier nickel-steel type, which had caused persistent sorting errors in automated coin-handling machinery across New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna. The switch to copper-nickel resolved compatibility problems without requiring any redesign.

The KM#9a designation distinguishes it from its magnetic predecessor by composition alone — a distinction that matters primarily to vending operators and, afterward, to variety collectors.