2 Pe / 1/2 Fuang - Norodom I Pattern

Pattern issues for Norodom I occupy a genuinely obscure corner of Southeast Asian numismatics. France established its protectorate over Cambodia in 1863, and the coins produced under Norodom's reign reflect an ongoing negotiation between French monetary administration and nominal Khmer sovereignty — the French controlled the presses while Norodom retained his name on the metal. Whether this pattern was struck at Paris or a colonial facility remains unresolved in the literature.

Fr#1 designation places it at the top of the Frossard gold reference for Cambodia, suggesting it was among the earliest documented gold patterns for the kingdom.