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15 000 Kip Cichlasoma Flower Horn
| Issuer | Laos |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
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| Currency | Lao PDR Kip (1979-date) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A finely detailed Cichlasoma Flower Horn fish in left-facing profile occupies the central field, its scales and fins rendered with naturalistic precision. A decorative hexagonal floral motif appears above the fish in the upper field, flanked on each side by a small sprig of aquatic vegetation. The inscription 'CICHLASOMA FLOWER HORN' arcs along the upper border in Latin script, accompanied by Chinese characters to the left. The denomination '15,000 Kip' appears in the lower field, with the legend '999 FINE SILVER' inscribed along the lower rim. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
The Flowerhorn cichlid sparked a genuine craze across Southeast Asia in the early 2000s, particularly in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, where specimens with pronounced nuchal humps sold for thousands of dollars to hobbyists convinced the fish brought wealth and good fortune. Laos, recognizing the commercial appetite for themed bullion among regional collectors, issued this piece squarely into that market rather than for domestic circulation.
By 2003 the fad had already peaked and prices were collapsing as breeders flooded the market.