Catalog
1000 Kip Gibbon
| Issuer | Bank of the Lao PDR |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | The national state emblem of the Lao People's Democratic Republic occupies the central field, depicting That Luang stupa framed by two stylized sheaves of rice and flanked by forests, with a ribbon bearing an inscription in Lao script at the base. The emblem is rendered in high relief against a mirror-polished proof field. The circular legend 'THE LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC' arcs along the upper periphery in Latin lettering, while the denomination '1000 KIP' appears in large characters along the lower border. A continuous beaded border frames the design. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A gibbon is depicted in full flight, brachating dynamically across the field with both long arms outstretched and legs extended, conveying a sense of natural movement and energy. Leafy branches and foliage surround the primate in the upper and lower portions of the field, providing a naturalistic habitat setting rendered in fine relief against the mirror proof surface. The date '1996' is inscribed at the top of the field above the composition. The legend 'ENDANGERED WILDLIFE' curves along the lower portion of the coin in incuse Latin lettering. A beaded border runs along the full circumference. |
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| Additional information |
Laos produced a substantial number of wildlife-themed silver issues through the 1990s, most struck by foreign mints and aimed squarely at the collector market rather than domestic circulation. The gibbon series falls into this category — these coins were never intended to pass through Lao hands as currency.
The northern white-cheeked gibbon depicted on this type was already under severe pressure from deforestation and hunting in the mid-1990s, and Laos held some of the last viable habitat. Whether the issue was coordinated with any conservation effort is undocumented.