State Bank of Vietnam Banknotes

The State Bank of Vietnam (Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam) operates as the central monetary authority overseeing a currency system spanning wartime monetary division and full transition to polymer banknotes.

Quick Facts

Country: Vietnam

Currency: Vietnamese Đồng

Local name: Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam

Institutional Identity

The Bank operates as Vietnam’s central monetary authority, managing inflation, supervising financial institutions, and issuing currency within a state-influenced economic system transitioning from centralized planning toward market integration.

Historical Evolution

Established in 1951, the Bank oversaw multiple parallel currencies during the Vietnam War, a period highly valued by collectors who distinguish between the socialist issues of North Vietnam and the Western-printed, visually rich banknotes of South Vietnam, before reunification in 1978 established a unified đồng.

Design Philosophy

Modern Vietnamese banknotes are defined by their complete transition to polymer from 2003 onward, making Vietnam one of the first countries to fully replace its circulating series, with Hồ Chí Minh on all obverses and reverses depicting national landmarks, executed with durable substrates and vibrant colour structures.

For collectors

For collectors, the State Bank of Vietnam offers a layered and dynamic field, from rare wartime dual-currency issues to the high-denomination 500,000 Đồng note featuring Hồ Chí Minh’s birthplace in Kim Liên, now considered the crown jewel of the modern polymer series.