5000 Kip

The Banque Nationale du Laos ceased to exist almost immediately after this note was printed. The Pathet Lao abolished the monarchy in December 1975 and replaced the bank with the newly established Bank of the Lao PDR, which promptly introduced its own currency at a punishing exchange rate — 20 old kip to 1 new kip. Notes from the BNL's final issues, including this series, were rendered worthless almost overnight and saw little meaningful circulation.

Thomas De La Rue delivered a product that outlasted its issuing institution by decades in collector hands, never really in wallets.