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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Honolulu Dick, post: 1224399, member: 24745&quot;]That&#039;s a mighty fine looking 5-Piastre you now proudly own.</p><p><br /></p><p>According to the World Paper Money and History Catalog ... atsnotes.com ... it&#039;s from a series that was printed from 1932 to 1939.&nbsp; That dates it to be pre-Japanese occupation of Vietnam, September 1940.&nbsp; From what I have been able to learn, The Japanese never issued occupational currency.&nbsp; They left the French and Vietnamese alone to to manage their internal affairs, as long as they kept within the agreed occupational accords.</p><p><br /></p><p>Although French Indochina was composed of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, the French bank used the term Piastre throughout it&#039;s colonial holdings.&nbsp; The term Piastre is of Italian origin and means thin metal plate [fine for coinage, but not for paper ... then, again, you know how the French are]. </p><p><br /></p><p>The French withdrew from Indochina following their defeat at Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam, in 1954.&nbsp; Following the French departure, Vietnam was divided into North and South at the 17th parallel and the currency was revised by each new nation.&nbsp; Curiously, in the south the term Piastre remained as a French holdover even though the French were no longer governing Vietnam.</p><p><br /></p><p>Historically, the Cambodian currency is the Riels,&nbsp; In Laos it&#039;s in Kips.&nbsp; In Vietnamese it&#039;s Dongs.&nbsp; Your beautiful note shows Piastre on the Euro side and Dong on the Asian side, confirming its origin.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>All my Vietnamese money dates from the Vietnam War era.&nbsp; At that time the paper currency was denominated in Piatres and coinage in Dongs.</p><p><br /></p><p>As to the price you paid, it wasn&#039;t all that much.&nbsp; If your interest is high, the price paid was moderate.&nbsp; If your interest is low, then the price was high.&nbsp; As a collector of military items, I&#039;ve seen guys buy German Iron Cross medals&nbsp; that ran into the $600 to $800 range and be proud of their purchase.&nbsp; Their interest level was high, they were motivated and the item had more value to them than their money.</p><p>Were I to ask myself if I would rather have $15 in my pocket or your Vietnamese note, I wouldn&#039;t hesitate to make the purchase.&nbsp; Then, again, my interest level is high.</p><p><br /></p><p>You own a beautiful piece of history.&nbsp; Be happy with your purchase.&nbsp; Treasure it and forget about the few dollars exchanged.</p><p><br /></p><p>Good on you![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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