80 000 Kip - Savang Vatthana Coronation

Savang Vatthana was crowned in 1959 but the commemorative coinage marking his coronation wasn't struck until 1971 — a twelve-year gap that reflects the chronic political instability plaguing the Royal Lao government throughout the 1960s. By the time these pieces were issued, the Pathet Lao controlled large portions of the country and American bombing campaigns were reshaping the Plain of Jars. The king himself would abdicate in 1975 under pressure from the communist takeover, dying in a re-education camp sometime around 1978 or 1980 — the exact date remains unknown.

These were never intended for circulation. Produced for the international numismatic market, the series was one of the last acts of the Banque Nationale before the monarchy ceased to exist entirely.