Catalog
500 Kip Kouprey
| Issuer | Bank of the Lao PDR |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Kip |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin/Lao |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A finely detailed rendering of a Kouprey (Bos sauveli), the critically endangered wild bovine native to Southeast Asia, depicted in left profile with its head lowered toward the ground as if grazing. The animal stands amid stylised grasses, reeds, and aquatic vegetation, conveying its natural habitat. The species name 'KOUPREY' is inscribed as the upper legend along the periphery, and the date '1998' appears in the lower field. The design is executed with fine engraving on a mirror-polished proof field. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The kouprey (Bos sauveli) was declared Laos's national animal in 1982, yet by the time this coin was struck it had almost certainly already been driven to extinction — the last confirmed sighting dates to 1983, with the population devastated by decades of war, habitat loss, and hunting across the forests of Indochina. No living specimen has been verified since.