Vanuatu's coinage is managed by the Reserve Bank, established at independence in 1980 when the New Hebrides condominium — jointly administered by Britain and France in one of colonial history's more awkward arrangements — dissolved into the new nation. The vatu replaced the New Hebrides franc with no subdivision, an intentional simplification.
Nickel plated steel replaced the earlier nickel-brass composition for this denomination during this series, a cost-driven decision common across Pacific island issuers contending with small population bases and limited mint volume leverage.
Vanuatu's coinage is managed by the Reserve Bank, established at independence in 1980 when the New Hebrides condominium — jointly administered by Britain and France in one of colonial history's more awkward arrangements — dissolved into the new nation. The vatu replaced the New Hebrides franc with no subdivision, an intentional simplification.
Nickel plated steel replaced the earlier nickel-brass composition for this denomination during this series, a cost-driven decision common across Pacific island issuers contending with small population bases and limited mint volume leverage.