50 Vietnamese Dong Foreign Exchange Certificate Banknote

50 Ðồng B Dong (Issued 1987)

Vietnam’s Foreign Exchange Certificate programme of the 1980s reflects the country’s carefully managed post-reunification economy, in which access to foreign currency was tightly controlled and channelled through state banking institutions. The 50 Dong B note of 1987 was issued specifically for use by foreign visitors and diplomats, operating as a parallel currency within a dual-monetary system designed to preserve hard currency reserves while maintaining ideological control over economic transactions. Its clean, functional design speaks to the administrative priorities of the era rather than ornamental national pride, bearing the authority of the Viet Nam Foreign Trade Bank — Vietcombank — rather than the central bank itself. This places the note in a distinct and historically significant category of Vietnamese monetary instruments.

On the front, the note is dominated by a striking geometric and guilloché composition rendered entirely in deep green ink on a pale cream background. At the centre, a large numeral “50” is set within an elaborate oval cartouche formed by dense, interlocking guilloché line-work, producing a flower-like or rosette pattern at its core — a traditional anti-counterfeiting engraving technique. Flanking this central motif on either side are decorative corner pieces featuring stylised floral and scroll elements, adding symmetrical visual balance to the composition. Along the upper portion of the note, the issuing authority is clearly stated in Latin-script text reading “NGAN HANG NGOAI THUONG VIET NAM”, identifying this as an instrument of the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam. Beneath the central numeral, the denomination is spelled out in two lines: “NAM MUOI” above and “DONG B” below, both rendered in clean, bold serif typography. In the upper right corner, the serial number “AD 0064778” is printed in red ink, with the prefix letters “AD” appearing slightly separated from the numeric sequence. The border of the note consists of a continuous decorative frame of interlaced geometric patterning in the same deep green, with small ornamental medallions at each of the four corners. The overall aesthetic is precise and restrained, with no portrait appearing on this denomination — the design relying entirely on geometric abstraction and institutional typography for its authority.

The reverse is printed in a soft, pale blue-grey tone and features a finely engraved architectural illustration as its central element. The building depicted is a large, formal structure rendered in precise intaglio-style line engraving, showing a multi-storey edifice with a symmetrical façade, wide horizontal rows of windows, and a central domed or rounded rooftop feature flanked by flat wings — consistent with the neoclassical institutional architecture characteristic of Vietnamese government and banking buildings constructed during the French colonial and early post-colonial periods. The building is set against a lightly textured background of fine guilloche wave patterns that fill the entire reverse field. In the upper left corner, a circular emblem or seal is visible, featuring the interlocked letters “VCB” or a stylised equivalent at its centre, surrounded by text that reads “BANK FOR FOREIGN TRADE OF VIET NAM” and “VIETCOMBANK” around the circumference, confirming the issuing institution. The paper itself shows a slightly aged, off-white texture, and the overall printing is delicate and pale, lending the reverse a watermark-like quality that contrasts with the bolder green of the front face.

Looking to exchange leftover currency? Your 50 Dong B Foreign Exchange Certificate can be sold to Webuyallcurrency.com alongside other old or withdrawn Vietnamese Dong banknotes, turning spare money from a trip or collection into cash in one simple transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 50 Ðồng B Dong banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Whether you want to sell foreign coins and notes or exchange leftover currency from past trips, Webuyallcurrency.com accepts Vietnamese Dong banknotes alongside modern money and settles everything in a single, easy transaction.

Other Vietnamese Dong you can exchange: 10, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000, 50000.