Catalog
5000 Kip Olympics
| Issuer | Laos |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Lao PDR Kip (1979-date) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | THE LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 5000 KIP |
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| Mintage | 1996 - - 3,000 |
| Additional information |
Laos produced a run of gold commemorative issues through the 1990s almost entirely for the collector export market — domestic circulation of gold coinage was never a practical reality in one of Southeast Asia's poorest economies. The 1996 Atlanta Games provided the occasion, but the Lao PDR had no athletes competing in Atlanta; the coin's connection to the Olympics is essentially a licensing arrangement rather than a national sporting story.
The .5833 fineness is a deliberate choice, placing this piece in the 14-karat tier favored by several smaller nations issuing commemoratives through third-party minting programs in the mid-1990s.