1000 Kip Tiger head

Laos issued a wave of small-format gold bullion pieces in the early 2000s targeting the collector and investor markets across Southeast Asia, where gold gifting traditions make fractional pieces commercially viable in ways they rarely are in Western markets. The 1/25 oz format was a calculated entry point.

KM#122 is one of several animal-themed issues from this period tied loosely to the lunar calendar series, though Laos was never a strict participant in the coordinated regional programs run through the Singapore and Perth mints.