Although the Cambodian riel exists only in paper currency, the National Bank is now selling replica coins from former regimes as souvenirs at its headquarters in Phnom Penh.
The NBC is also planning to build a museum of Cambodian currency to be located next to its head office, officials said.
Retailing for $100 each, the replicas of the Khmer Slung coin and the Khmer Prasat coin were minted in Singapore and went on sale in November, NBC Vice-Governor Neav Chantana said.
The Slung was used during the reign of King Korn, from 1512 to 1525 and features a naga in its design, while the Prasat was used during the reign of King Ang Duong from 1845 to 1860 and features a mythical goose image, she said.
“We are not really expecting to make a profit from these coins, but the idea is to show that we have our own history in terms of bank notes, coins and currency,” she said.
NBC Director-General Tal Nay Im said she is not sure when the currency museum will open but the bank is collecting material for it.
“The Bank of Thailand has a museum—why can’t we have one?” Huy Navy, director of foreign exchange and management at the bank, said. “It would be good if we can find some currency used during the Pol Pot regime.”
National Assembly Banking Commission Chairman Cheam Yeap applauded the idea of a currency museum.
“Those materials will show that our ancestors did very well in doing business and trade,” he said.
