Objective: Choose a country, design currency (3 paper bills)
Vanuatu is a Polynesian island group made up of about 82
islands located in the South Pacific Ocean.
Their Independence from the United Kingdom and France was won in 1980
during the Coconut War, and the Republic of Vanuatu was formed. Although
Vanuatu is now predominantly a Christian nation, the design of the currency was
largely inspired by the traditional tribal customs that are still practiced
today.
The colors for the currency were
based on the colors of the landscape of the islands. The one hundred vatu bill
is made up of various hues of blue and turquoise. This was to represent the
ocean and the beach. The peach and orange on the two hundred vatu bill
represent the Strelitzia Raginae (Bird of Paradise) flower. There are several
different types of these flowers, and they are all native to this part of the
World. The flowers are vibrant hues of orange, yellow, and pink. The five
hundred vatu bill is made up of greens and browns that represent the rich
vegetation of the land, as the traditions of Vanuatu tribes respect their land
very much.
The symbols on the front of the
bills all represent a characteristic of the country that helps define who the
people are as a whole. On the one hundred vatu bill, the symbol on the front is
an illustration of one of the many beaches. The islands of Vanuatu are made up
of 1,571 miles of coastline. One the two hundred vatu bill, there is an
illustration of two boar tusks. The boar tusks are seen as a symbol of wealth
and prosperity throughout all of Vanuatu. The tusks grow in a circular fashion
very slowly over time. The more rounded and coiled the tusks are, the more they
are worth or respected. Many of the villagers wear the tusks as necklaces. On
the five hundred vatu bill, there is an illustration of a person with striped
body paint. This person is doing the Snake Dance, a dance that is often
performed by the tribes at various initiation ceremonies. The body paint
illustrated on the bill is common for this specific dance as it resembles a
snake.
The typeface for the currency was
intended to be clear and easily read. The numbers are in Lowvetica Bold, and
the letters are in Imprint MT Shadow. The busy textures and decorative layers
on the bills required the text to be bold, simple, and most of the time with an
outer glow.
Vanuatu’s traditional and most basic
characteristics are represented in the bills. The traditions that are most
important to the islands are conveyed by the color and illustrations as well as
the tribal and leafy design in the background.
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