Vanuatu Vatu - Dollar

Local residents sometimes refer to a notional dollar, equal to 100 vatu, without specifying which country's currency they have in mind. This stems from the period 1966–1973, when the New Hebrides franc was pegged to the Australian dollar at a rate of 100 francs = 1 dollar. Although no relationship currently exists, it simplifies thinking in the larger numbers which a low-value unit causes. For example, the Government's budget of 6,000,000,000VT is in fact only about US$50,000,000.

The concept of this notional dollar is supported by the size of the 100 vatu coin: at 23 mm, it is comparable to the Australian dollar (25 mm) and the New Zealand dollar (23 mm) but the thickness is equivalent to the current British pound coin. Traders will often accept a real dollar (regardless of its country) as an equivalent to local currency.