World coins chat: New Caledonia

New Caledonia is a French overseas 'collectivity' in the Pacific east of Australia, not far from Vanuatu. It has a population of close to 270,000.

New Caledonia has been inhabited by Melanesian Kanak people for thousands of years. James Cook discovered the main island in 1774 and named it New Caledonia after the Latin name for Scotland. France annexed New Caledonia in 1853.

The new territory was initially used as a penal colony. The local Kanaks were victim of blackbirding, European diseases and general neglect by the colonial authorities who refused to include them in any part of society. In 1878 Kanak tribes fought a war against the French colonists but their effort was unsuccessful.

During WW2 New Caledonia was part of the Free French and an Allied naval base was located there. After WW2 the discussion about independence was on and off, but it still is French territory. A referendum on the matter is planned for 2018. Even if New Caledonia does not opt for independence, it is likely its name will change to something else.

Currency
New Caledonia uses the CFP Franc, which was introduced in 1945 to save the French overseas territories from the sharp devaluations of the French Franc after the war. Because the US Dollar played a large role in the region, the CFP Franc was pegged to the Dollar at a rate of 90 XPF/$. By 1949 the CFP Franc was worth 5.5 French Francs and this was used as a new peg which still exists today, provided that France introduced the New Franc in 1960 and switched to Euros in 1999. There are currently 108 XPF in a USD.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/nouvelle-caledonie-1.html

As French I would like New Caledonia to remain a French territory, but I understand the Kanak willness to gain their independance.

Here is the Kanak flag:


The term "collectivity" is used for all Pacific territories (and some other similar territories elsewhere) in Wikipedia. However their status is more likely a "special collectivity" or "sui generis collectivity", due to the different agreements following the multiple incidents from 1984 to 1988, acting the Kanak willness to become independant. The last agreement, still in application for now, are the Nouméa agreement of 1998, validated by local referendum. All local governments are considered linked to this agreement.

And, to turn back to numismatics, please notice that New Caledonia, as XPF user, had its common coinage with all other Pacific territories, known in Numista as French Oceania. However I would understand this coinage would be treated later as similar with French Polynesia coinage (joint with Wallis and Futuna, which has no own coinage).

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/french-oceania-1.html

Quote: "jokinen"A referendum on the matter is planned for 2018.

Reviving this thread, because exactly today, New Caledonia will vote in a referendum on whether or not to become independent from France.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k-bcLGNYHw

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46087053

If it votes yes, then this will be the first time since 1980, that an overseas territory has become independent from France (back then it was the New Hebrides, or Vanuatu).

It would be painful for French to lose the land with 25% of the world's nickel

The result is NO
France keeps its Nickel

Any news about a potential name change?

I actually completely forgot that I wrote this article

Quote: "jokinen"​Any news about a potential name change?
​
​I actually completely forgot that I wrote this article

​None so far.

The result has been announced, New Caledonia voted No on independence, 56.4% to 43.6%; so France keeps its nickel.... but there is still the potential for two more independence referendums before 2022, so perhaps it's still too soon to relax.

Hello,

Not as simple as just a source of nickel.
It is a complex post colonial situation (per se negative but that is history) that will be difficult to handle for long. But most don't think independence is the best.
Some may think of Mayotte and the Comores.
The situation there is though socially difficult, but having the backup of France is probably more secure than not.