One hundred toeas

make a kina

Papua New Guinea’s new cur rency will be known as Kina and Toea. Kina is a word from the pidgin language spoken mainly by New Guineans. Toea is from Motu, the common language of Papua.

Both designations refer to types of shell money used before the arrival of Europeans in PNG.

The Kina will be the equivalent of the Australian dollar, and the Toea will replace the cent. The notes will be in two, five and 10 kina de nominations. The coins will be for one, two, five, 10 and 20 Toeas, and there will be a larger coin represent ing 100 Toeas.