French Pacific islands redesign the franc

The franc is alive and well and living in the Pacfic. Three French overseas territories are redesigning the notes of the Change Franc Pacifique (CFP) to make them more difficult to counterfeit.

Detail of the current 1,000 franc note

The Pacific franc is used in French Polynesia, which includes Tahiti, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna, which are the most far-flung parts of France.

There is been regular debate about them going over to the euro, of which mainland France was one of the founding nations, but the three administrative areas have to decide to do so before such a decision can come into effect.

In the meantime, they have ordered a redesign of the 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 CFP notes.

The oldest of the current notes was designed in 1968.

The new bills will have one side dedicated to New Caledonia and the other to Polynesia, with images typical of Wallis and Futuna also included.

Flora and fauna will predominate, with birds, a tortoise and stingray depicted.

The most used not, the 1,000 CFP, is worth 8.38 euros.

The CFP is the descendant of the Franc des Colonies Françaises du Pacifique (FCFP), which was started in 1945.