1000 Vatu

Vanuatu's polymer notes were introduced partly in response to the country's climate — high humidity and frequent tropical cyclones degrade cotton-paper currency rapidly, and the islands' dispersed geography makes timely replacement logistically expensive. The switch to polymer for this denomination made practical sense in ways that don't apply equally to larger economies.

Oberthur Fiduciaire, now part of the IDEMIA group, printed this series from their French facilities. The colour-shifting ink on the 1000 Vatu is a relatively high-specification feature for a Pacific island denomination of this value, reflecting the Reserve Bank's decision to concentrate security investment at the top of the circulating range.