Vanuatu: Reserve Bank anniversary coins

[Figleaf]

Pabitra Saha found the illustrations.

Peter

[Galapagos]

I prefer the sideways-on view of the 200 Vatu. The others are too geometric.

The word "BLONG" comes from the English "belong", of course, and means "of" in this case. I understand that Prince Philip is referred to in Vanuatu as "Big fella blong Missy Kwin".

[Figleaf]

  Long title, but it does the job very well. A bit like "Mrs. Tatcher's husband".

Also, these coins are a good way to show a fast expanding bureaucracy that could have been avoided by simply adopting the New Zealand dollar

Peter

[Galapagos]

It does make sense for micronations to use an existing currency, or band together to create their own, e.g. the East Caribbean States currency union.

[translateltd]

It used to be fun listening to the shortwave broadcasts from Radio Australia in Bislama (or maybe Pidgin for PNG) where they would say things like "Prince Philip bilong England he go long Niugini" or such like.  Most of it makes sense to English ears once your brain does a little bit of tuning in. 

[BC Numismatics]

Martin,
  John Eccles has advised me that Bislama is closer to Solomon Islands Pidgin English than Papua New Guinean Pidgin English.How do I know this? He was in both Port Vila & Honiara just over 2 weeks ago.

I do collect the Vanuatuan coins,as they are a legitimate part of the British Commonwealth coin series,as is the New Hebridean coins.

Despite popular belief,Vanuatu is a very strongly Protestant country with Presbyterianism being the largest denomination followed by Anglicanism.

Aidan.

[BC Numismatics]

I finally picked up a Vanuatuan 2009 coin - the ordinary 50 Vatu,which came courtesy of someone in the numismatic trade who was in Vanuatu & the Solomon Islands just before he went off to Europe recently.

Aidan.