100 Vatu H.M.S. Resolution

H.M.S. Resolution was the converted Whitby collier that carried Cook on his second and third Pacific voyages — the same hull form as Endeavour, chosen deliberately for its shallow draft and cargo capacity rather than speed. On the third voyage, Resolution put into Nootka Sound in 1778 before pushing north in the failed search for a Northwest Passage. Cook never brought her home; he was killed at Kealakekua Bay in February 1779, and the ship returned to England under Clerke and then Gore.

Vanuatu's 1990s large-format silver program leaned heavily on Pacific exploration themes, reflecting the archipelago's position along routes Cook charted in detail.