5 Vatu Sphynx

The sphinx depicted here is Egyptian, not Greek — a distinction that matters, since Vanuatu has no cultural connection to either tradition. This coin belongs to a wave of Pacific island collector issues from the 2010s in which small-nation mints leased their sovereign striking authority to European bullion dealers, primarily in Germany and Switzerland, who designed and distributed the series themselves. The issuing country received a licensing fee; the coins rarely if ever circulated in Vanuatu.