Catalog
50 Riels
| Issuer | National Bank of Cambodia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1979 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ๕๐ សាធារណរដ្ឋប្រជាមានិតកម្ពុជា ๕๐ ហាសិបរៀល (Translation: 50 People`s Republic of Kampuchea 50 FIFTY RIELS) |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
The 1979 series was the first currency issued after the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed and the Vietnamese-backed People's Republic of Kampuchea took power. The Khmer Rouge had abolished money entirely in 1975 — banks were emptied, currency was rendered worthless overnight, and the entire population of Phnom Penh was forcibly evacuated. Reintroducing a functioning currency in 1979 meant rebuilding monetary infrastructure from near-zero.
The series was printed in the Soviet Union, reflecting the political alignment of the new government. Watermarking is simple by contemporary standards — an acknowledgment of practical constraints rather than any deliberate security philosophy.