On 20 January 2014, the new XPF franc banknotes will come into circulation in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna. OPT-NC is marking the occasion with the issue of this booklet comprising 4 postage stamps with face values of 75 XPF and 110 XPF.
The new banknotes, with denominations of 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 francs, were designed by the Institut d’Emission d’Outre-Mer (IEOM - central bank for French overseas territories) and feature motifs and images paying tribute to the natural and cultural heritage of the three French Pacific territories. One side of each note is devoted to French Polynesia and the other to New Caledonia, plus various graphic elements representative of Wallis and Futuna. The new green, orange, blue and red notes feature designs including a kagu, a parakeet, a ray, a turtle, a pearl oyster, a Napoleon fish, a nautilus, pennant coralfish, corals, traditional huts, a sketch evoking the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, paddles and a faré, together with various plants and flowers. The drawings are the work of Sophie Eugène, a professional New Caledonian graphic designer. These brightly coloured new banknotes notes are more compact and incorporate advanced security features in compliance with current international standards. They also include elements facilitating recognition by visually impaired persons.
From 20 January to 30 September, both the current and new banknotes will serve as legal tender but as from 1st October 2014 only new banknotes will be accepted for commercial transactions.
However, the old banknotes retain their face value for all time and can be exchanged by the IEOM.
