The Chatham Islands Note Corporation is a private entity, not a government central bank — the Chatham Islands themselves are a New Zealand territory with no independent monetary authority. These notes were issued as legal-tender novelties under a licensing arrangement, with the $8 denomination chosen purely for collectibility: eight carries auspicious connotations in Chinese commercial culture, a nod to the anticipated Pacific Rim collector market.
Chan Wanich in Bangkok printed the majority of its output for smaller Pacific island jurisdictions and commemorative programs during this period. The hologram strip here is largely a marketing feature; actual circulation was never the intent.
The Chatham Islands Note Corporation is a private entity, not a government central bank — the Chatham Islands themselves are a New Zealand territory with no independent monetary authority. These notes were issued as legal-tender novelties under a licensing arrangement, with the $8 denomination chosen purely for collectibility: eight carries auspicious connotations in Chinese commercial culture, a nod to the anticipated Pacific Rim collector market.
Chan Wanich in Bangkok printed the majority of its output for smaller Pacific island jurisdictions and commemorative programs during this period. The hologram strip here is largely a marketing feature; actual circulation was never the intent.