Catalog
Luang Pu Tho, Paper Banknote Amulet
| Issuer | Thailand |
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| Year | 1996-2539 |
| Type | Religious banknote |
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| Obverse description | The central vignette presents a sculptural portrait bust of Luang Pu Toh (Phra Rajsangwornbhimon, d. 1682), flanked to one side by an oval inset portrait of King Rama V and to the other by a secondary oval vignette of a mythical figure. The denomination 500 is rendered in both Thai script and Latin numerals. |
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| Reverse description | The central vignette depicts King Rama IX in the company of a monk, surrounded by eight smaller inset vignettes of seated monks arranged in a border formation. Below the central group, an architectural rendering of Pratu Chumphor — the Chumphor Gate of Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) — bears its Thai inscription, with a figure of Thao Suranari, the celebrated heroine of Korat, appearing in the composition. Above the Buddhist Era date 2539 (1996 CE), a Thai ritual incantation reads: Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Ya Mo goes to war — invoking victory over enemies and demons — followed by the epithets Thao Suranari and Grandmother Mo. |
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| Comments |
Banknote amulets occupy an unusual niche in Thai material culture — technically outside the formal currency system yet tied directly to it. This example is associated with Luang Pu Tho, the revered monk of Wat Pradoo Chimplee in Bangkok, whose image carries strong associations with wealth protection and safe travel among Thai Buddhists. The laminated paper format was a practical concession: it preserved the printed surface while allowing the piece to be worn or carried without defacing actual legal tender, which Thai law prohibits.
The 1996 dating aligns with a period of intense amulet production before the 1997 baht crisis — demand surged further after the collapse.