The dollar is the currency of Tuvalu. From 1966 to 1976, Tuvalu officially used the Australian dollar. In 1976, Tuvalu began issuing its own coins for circulation, although these circulate alongside Australian coins and Tuvalu continues to use Australian banknotes. Similar to the Faroese króna's relationship to the Danish krone and the Panamanian balboa's relationship to the United States dollar, the Tuvaluan dollar is not an independent currency, but a variation of the Australian Dollar. The official international currency code is TVD.There is no central monetary institution or central bank in Tuvalu. The National Bank of Tuvalu performs some monetary functions for the government of Tuvalu including the holding of government accounts and foreign assets.Other currencies used in Tuvalu have been the Pound Sterling, prior to the introduction of the Australian dollar, as well as the US dollar, during the World War II American occupation of the islands. Gilbert and Ellice Islands banknotes have also been used on in Tuvalu, These notes were cashier's cheques backed in Pounds rather than an official, independent currency. The Yen backed Oceania pound was used in parts of the Gilberts (now Kiribati), but Japanese influence never actually reached the Ellice Chain (now Tuvalu).