1000 Vietnamese Dong Banknote (Type 1988)

1,000 Ðồng Dong (Issued 1988)

Withdrawn from circulation following Vietnam’s ongoing monetary reforms of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the 1,000 Dong note of 1988 was rendered obsolete as the State Bank of Vietnam progressively replaced older denominations with updated series better suited to the country’s transitioning economy. The note was issued during a period of significant economic restructuring under the Doi Moi reform programme, which began in 1986, and the inflationary pressures of that era quickly eroded the purchasing power of lower denominations. As higher-value notes became necessary for everyday transactions, earlier issues such as this 1988 example were phased out and lost their status as legal tender. Today, the note holds no exchange value through Vietnamese banking channels and cannot be spent in Vietnam.

On the front, the dominant feature is a portrait of Ho Chi Minh, the founding leader and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, rendered in a warm brown engraving style to the right of centre. His familiar features — the thin beard, calm expression, and high-collared jacket — are depicted with fine intaglio-style line work against a circular decorative rosette motif in light brown and cream tones. To the left of the portrait, the Vietnamese state emblem is prominently displayed, showing a gold star at its centre surrounded by a laurel wreath and the rising sun, set against a radiating burst pattern that fans outward across the upper-central portion of the note. The background is rendered in soft green and light teal hues, with intricate guilloché scrollwork framing the large bold numeral “1000” in the lower-left quadrant, surrounded by ornamental dragon-like flourishes in dark green. The serial number “DM 0537949” is printed in red ink to the left of centre. The issuing authority inscription in Latin-script text reads “CONG HOA XA HOI CHU NGHIA VIET NAM” along the upper border, and the denomination text “MOT NGHIN DONG” appears in bold dark lettering along the lower edge, with the year 1988 printed beneath it. The numerals “1000” also appear in the upper-right and lower-left corners, framed by small decorative borders.

The reverse presents a richly detailed central vignette depicting a working elephant engaged in timber haulage, accompanied by two human figures — one seated atop the elephant and another standing to the right — with dense tropical foliage and stacked timber visible in the background. The scene is engraved in dark brown and purple tones and conveys an impression of agricultural and forestry labour within the Vietnamese landscape. The text “NGAN HANG NHA NUOC VIET NAM” — identifying the State Bank of Vietnam — is printed in dark lettering across the upper portion of the reverse. To the left, an oval guilloché security medallion is printed in blue and yellow, providing an anti-counterfeiting element through its fine concentric patterning. On the right-hand side, a geometric floral rosette pattern in blue and purple tones mirrors the decorative treatment of the obverse. The bold numeral “1000” appears in the upper-right corner and again in larger format in the lower-left, with the denomination text “MOT NGHIN DONG” printed to the right in dark lettering. The overall colour palette of the reverse blends soft lilac, pale green, and warm brown in a layered design typical of late 1980s Vietnamese banknote production.

Exchange foreign coins and notes with no fuss: Webuyallcurrency.com accepts this 1,000 Dong banknote and other old or withdrawn Vietnamese Dong banknotes, paying out for everything together in a single transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 1,000 Ðồng Dong banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

If you have leftover currency to exchange, Webuyallcurrency.com accepts Vietnamese Dong banknotes and a wide range of other foreign coins and notes, paying out for the lot in a single straightforward transaction.

Other Vietnamese Dong you can exchange: 10, 50, 100, 200, 500, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000, 50000.