Catalog
Luang Pu Tho, Paper Banknote Amulet
| Issuer | Thailand |
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| Year | |
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| Size | 168 × 80 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of a sculptural portrait of Luang Pu Toh (Phra Rajsangwornbhimon, died 1682), flanked by two oval inset vignettes — one bearing a portrait of King Rama V, the other a mythical figure. A denomination of 1000 appears in both Thai numerals and Latin script. |
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central vignette of King Rama IX alongside a Buddhist monk, surrounded by eight small medallion portraits of seated monks in relief style. Below, a gate identified by a Thai inscription as Pratu Chumphor — the Chumphor Gate of Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat). A female figure identified as Thao Suranari, local heroine of Korat, appears at lower register. An inscription in Thai above the year 2539 (1996 CE) reads: "Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Ya Mo goes to war, a spell to defeat the enemy and the demons — Thao Suranari, Grandmother Mo, 2539." |
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| Comments |
Thai banknote amulets ("bang"or "pha yant bang") occupy an unusual space between monetary object and sacred item. This example is centered on Luang Pu Tho (Phra Phrom Rangsi) of Wat Pradoo Chimplee, one of the most venerated monks of 20th-century Bangkok, whose image was incorporated into specially printed or overprinted notes believed to confer financial luck and protection on the bearer.
These are not legal tender and were never intended to circulate as currency. The protective laminate is applied specifically to preserve the sacred inscription, not the monetary substrate.