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50 Vatu Potala Palace
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Vanuatu |
|---|---|
| Year | 2009 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A finely detailed high-relief depiction of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, rendered in three-quarter perspective and occupying the majority of the coin's field. The multi-tiered fortress-palace complex, with its characteristic tapering walls, rows of windows, and tiered rooflines, rises from a broad stairway in the foreground. A dramatic mountainous landscape with snow-capped peaks fills the background. The legend 'POTALA PALACE' arcs along the upper periphery within a beaded border, and the denomination '50 VATU' is inscribed in the lower field. The proof finish creates a sharp contrast between the polished field and the frosted relief. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Vanuatu has no meaningful connection to Tibet or the Potala Palace — this is a bullion-adjacent commemorative issued purely for the collector export market, a practice the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu engaged in aggressively during the 2000s by licensing foreign imagery with no domestic historical relevance. The 1-gram gold format was popularized in this period as an accessible entry point for small-denomination precious metal collecting, particularly in Asian markets where the Potala subject had obvious commercial appeal.