5000 Vatu

The 5000 Vatu was the highest denomination in circulation when Vanuatu's Reserve Bank introduced this series in the early 1990s, reflecting a monetary system still consolidating after independence from the Franco-British condominium in 1980. The Vatu itself only replaced the New Hebrides franc in 1981, making this note part of only the second generation of sovereign currency the country had ever issued.

Thomas De La Rue's production for Pacific island states during this period was routine work for the printer, but the relatively light security specification — watermark only, no security thread — is notable for a top-denomination note of this value.