Despite what seems to have been a scrupulously mirror-image approach to governmental structure, however, this 1966 100-franc—first coin for the New Hebrides bearing the “New Hebrides” name—is clearly a French production. So was the additional “Nouvelles Hebrides” coinage that followed beginning in ’67.
True, the (French) CFP franc—and attendant coinage—had been in use in the New Hebrides before 1966, but so, apparently, had the Australian pound. (Which finally convinces me this piece is more than simple collector-coin.)
French President DeGaulle was deep into his “Napoleon III” phase by 1966, and it’s tempting to wonder if this big and seemingly anachronistic silver coin isn’t perhaps just another symptom of his drive for French “grandeur.” But in 1966 France was still trying to make its homeland silver coinage work, so maybe Paris just hadn’t gotten the memo, and this New Hebrides 100-franc piece was really supposed to do double duty as both prestige piece and circulating coin.
A final note cuts both ways: Australian decimal coinage—introduced in 1966—did circulate in the New Hebrides. That 1966 Australian coinage included a silver 50-cent piece, two of which contained almost exactly the same quantity of silver as this 1966 100-franc. The CFP franc, meanwhile, exchanged for the Australian dollar at exactly 100 to 1.
It doesn’t seem coincidental.
v.
