See also: Hébrides (homonymy)

The archipelago of the New Hebrides ( New Hebrides in English) one of the archipelagoes mélanésiens, is located at the east of the Australia, the north of the New Caledonia, and at the south of the Archipel of Solomon. Franco-British Condominium until independence in 1980, it is independent today, under the name of republic of the Vanuatu.

History

The archipelago is discovered by the navigator Portuguese Pedro Fernández de Quirós in 1606, then visited 160 years later, in 1766, by the French Louis Antoine de Bougainville and in 1774 by the Britannique James Cook and their gives their current name.

The France takes possession in of it 1886 and sets up it in Protectorat the following year.

In 1906, the France and the the United Kingdom are intended to jointly manage the archipelago in the form of a condominium. It will be thus until the independence of New Hebrides the July 30th 1980. The islands took then the name of Vanuatu.

Postal and monetary history

The postal stamps of New Hebrides illustrate the history of the condominium.

In 1908, the condominium uses stamps of the colonies British Frenchwoman and , the New Caledonia and Fiji; overloaded stamps “New Hebrides Condominium” or “New Hebrides Condominium”.

Thereafter and until in 1980, the stamps used generally carry the mention “Condominium of New Hebrides” and the weapons of the English sovereign (George VI, then Elisabeth II) and those of the French Republic (letters “RF” and beam of weapons).

After having used the French franc and the Pound sterling, of 1938 with 1977, New Hebrides had the Franc-or for currency. In 1966 is created the Franc of New Hebrides struck by the Currency of Paris.Il acted of the coins of 1 F, 2 F, 5 F, 10 F, 20 F, 50 F and 100 F, of 1966 (only year of the 100 F) at 1979. Coins of 1,2,5,10 and 20 Francs were even struck in 1982 (thus after independence), with the mention " Française" republic; , because Royal English Mint, selected to strike new currency, the VATU (coins of 1,2,5,10,20,50 and 100 vatu), could deliver the latter only in 1983 (except the 50 vatu of 1981).

Sources

• Catalog Yvert and Tellier , volume 2, first part, French Colonies and overseas territories, ED. Yvert and Tellier, 1997.

External bond

• History of the Vanuatu http://www.vanuatuparadise.com/NewFiles/francais/decouverte/histoirefr.html

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