Description
The riel is the official currency of Cambodia. The official currency symbol: ៛. The currency’s name is derived from the Spanish-American dollar, commonly used for international trade in Asia and the Americas from the 16th to 19th centuries. There is a widespread belief that the name is derived from Mekong river fish which name is riel.
The rail was established in 1953, after the Cambodia branch of the Institut d’Émission des États du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam introduced double-denomination banknotes in piastre and rail. Between 1955 and 1972, the riel and piastre circulated alongside each other. After the Vietnamese invasion in 1978, the riel was reinstated as Cambodia’s national currency on April 1, 1980. Because there was no money to replace it and the economy was severely affected, the central government gave the new money to the people to encourage its use.
Today, banknotes with denominations of 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 circulate.
The 500 Cambodian riels note front design features the portrait of Norodom Sihamoni, who is the King of Cambodia, followed by Seven headed serpent statue at Angkor Wat and the Royal arms of Cambodia.
The reverse of the note illustrates the Neak Loeung Bridge, the Kizuna bridge over the Mekong River, and a Monument commemorating the Japan-funded Tsubasa Bridge. In the background is one of the scenes carved in stone found in the Bayon (Khmer Buddhist/Hindu temple at Angkor. The lettering of the note is presented in the Khmer language. This note is part of the 2014 series, and its color is pink and gray.
Text: ៥០០ ធនាគារជាតិនៃកម្ពុជា ប្រាំរយរៀល អ្នកក្លែងក្រដាសប្រាក់ នឹងត្រូវ ផ្តន្ទាទោស តាមច្បាប់ ៥០០ 500, ធនាគារជាតិនៃកម្ពុជា National Bank of Cambodia 2014 ៥០០ ប្រាំរយរៀល ៥០០.