Catalog
20 Vatu Charlemagne
| Issuer | Vanuatu (1980-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Vatu (1982-date) |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Vanuatu occupies the central field, depicting a Melanesian warrior in traditional dress standing before a curved boar's tusk. Below, a scroll bears the national motto in the Bislama legend. The face value '20 VATU' appears above the arms, with the country name 'VANUATU' and the legend 'RIPABLIK BLONG VANUATU' completing the inscription around the design. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | RIPABLIK 20 VATU BLONG LONG GOD YUMI STANAP VANUATU (Translation: Republic of Vanuatu. In God we stand.) |
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| Additional information |
Vanuatu has no historical or geographical connection to Charlemagne whatsoever. The island nation, independent since 1980, issues coins like this one under licensing arrangements that allow foreign distributors to attach virtually any historical figure or theme to a legal-tender denomination — a practice that generates export revenue while the coins never circulate domestically. The 20 Vatu face value is nominal; no one spends them.
KM#163 is one of dozens of such issues attributed to Vanuatu in the modern era, produced almost entirely for the collector market through European and Asian distributors.