The Pig Tooth is Vanuatu's 'National Treasure' - The Curvier, The Better

     Immigrating to Vanuatu is paying attention to life in Vanuatu: Vanuatu is a small island nation located in the Melanesian islands of the Pacific. The country's flag and coat of arms feature a peculiar design: one end is thick, the other pointed, long and curved into a circle, somewhat resembling a horn, yet upon closer inspection, it does not quite resemble one. If someone tells you that this is a pig tooth, would you find it strange that a country's flag and coat of arms depict what seems to be an inconspicuous object?

 

 

A dog tooth can be exchanged for 50 pineapples

Do not underestimate the pig tooth; in Vanuatu, the pig tooth symbolizes wealth. The depiction of the pig tooth on the flag and coat of arms signifies that 'wealth and prosperity belong to the people of Vanuatu', carrying a very positive meaning.

It turns out that the residents of Vanuatu have a long-standing tradition of using pig teeth and dog teeth as currency. Here, a dog tooth is equivalent to a coin, with one dog tooth being able to exchange for 50 pineapples or 100 coconuts; while a pig tooth serves as 'cash', depending on the quality of the tooth, one pig tooth can be exchanged for several or even dozens of dog teeth.

For centuries, the people of Vanuatu have used 'pig tooth cash' to purchase everything they need for their lives. Due to the favorable climate and rich natural resources, the currency of pig teeth has a good credit history, with inflation rarely occurring. An ordinary household's annual expenses can easily be managed with about 20 pig teeth.

The curvier, the better

The people of Vanuatu have a unique standard for judging the quality of pig teeth: bigger is not necessarily better, but rather the curvier, the better. When bent into an arc or even spiraled several times, it can be incredibly valuable—the pig tooth depicted on the flag and coat of arms is shaped into a large circle. The pigs here are not significantly different from those elsewhere; if allowed to grow naturally, their tusks would also grow into long and pointed shapes. However, locals have their methods: they raise piglets until they are one year old and then proceed to remove their upper canine teeth. This allows the lower canine teeth to grow into curved shapes naturally; with a bit of luck, they can even curve into three circles.

Still in use today

Even though the government has long enacted laws to officially replace pig teeth and dog teeth with a formal currency called 'Vatu', establishing it as the country's legal tender.

However, many Vanuatu residents still privately prefer to use pig teeth as money, and to this day, the bride price for marriage remains in pig teeth. The government has solemnly declared that the pig tooth is Vanuatu's 'national treasure'.