Shell money, minted: Vanuatu’s 1983 1 vatu — nickel brass with traditional shells, withdrawn from issue in 2011 but still legal tender.
History
- Part of the 1983 first circulation series: the 1, 2, and 5 vatu were struck in nickel brass, sized like the old French franc centimes.
- Reverse: traditional shells — literal shell money, minted. 16.95 mm.
- In 2011 the Reserve Bank ceased issuing the 1 and 2 vatu (inflation had made them pointless); they remain legal tender, and cash is rounded to the nearest 5 vatu.
Key dates & varieties
- 1983 first year; withdrawn from issue in 2011.
Specifications
- Nickel brass, 16.95 mm.
Collector notes
- The withdrawn 1 and 2 vatu are the sleepers of the series — dead denominations in a living currency.
- Tiny aluminium-bronze coins wear fast; uncirculated is the grade to hunt.