500 Vietnamese Dong Foreign Exchange Certificate Banknote

500 Ðồng B Dong (Issued 1987)

The graphic language of this 1987 Vietnamese Foreign Exchange Certificate belongs firmly to the tradition of geometric abstraction that dominated socialist-era currency design across Southeast Asia, favouring intricate guilloché patterning and architectural imagery over portraiture. The layout is symmetrical and formally ordered, with the denomination rendered as the dominant visual element rather than a national hero or head of state, a deliberate stylistic choice that reflects the functional, transactional purpose of these Foreign Exchange Certificates. The printing quality demonstrates the influence of Eastern European intaglio traditions, with fine-line security work filling virtually every corner of the note’s surface. Compared to general-circulation Vietnamese dong notes of the same period, this series carries a noticeably restrained, almost technical aesthetic, communicating institutional authority through geometry rather than imagery.

On the front, the note is printed predominantly in teal and green tones against a pale cream background, with the entire field covered in densely woven guilloché patterns that create a rippling, almost textile-like effect across the paper. At the top centre, the issuing authority’s name is printed in clear Latin-script capital letters reading “NGAN HANG NGOAI THUONG VIET NAM,” identifying this as an instrument of the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, known internationally as Vietcombank. The centrepiece of the design is the large numeral “500” rendered in bold, ornate digits set within an elaborate oval guilloché rosette of layered geometric rings, the surrounding detail transitioning from deep teal at the borders to a warm amber-gold at the centre of the rosette, creating a subtle but effective colour contrast. Below the central numeral, the denomination text reads “NAM TRAM” on the first line and “DONG B” on the second, both printed in solid teal capitals with clear letter spacing. In the upper right corner, a red serial number reads “0047461,” printed in a crisp, evenly spaced serif typeface. The four corners of the note each feature decorative cartouches containing stylised floral and geometric motifs, and a band of fine repeated star and flower patterns runs along both the upper and lower borders, reinforcing the overall geometric register of the design. A small red overprint or control marking is faintly visible near the upper left of the central rosette, consistent with print-run identification marks used on this series.

The reverse of the note is printed in a pale blue-grey monochrome scheme and is dominated by a central engraved vignette depicting a large, formal neoclassical or modernist institutional building, most likely the headquarters of the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam in Hanoi. The building is rendered with considerable linework detail, showing a wide facade with multiple windows arranged in regular horizontal rows, a prominent central entrance section, and what appears to be a domed or raised central roof feature. The engraving style uses fine parallel and cross-hatched lines to suggest depth and shadow, giving the building a three-dimensional quality despite the limited single-colour palette. The mirror-image text of “NGAN HANG NGOAI THUONG VIET NAM” is visible in reverse show-through from the front of the note, running across the upper portion of the reverse. Below the building vignette, the denomination text “NAM TRAM” and “DONG B” appear again in the same Latin-script capitals used on the front. To the upper left of the reverse, a circular stamp or seal is visible bearing the letters “VCB” within a decorative border alongside text identifying Vietcombank, serving as a secondary authentication mark for this Foreign Exchange Certificate series.

Webuyallcurrency.com makes it easy to exchange old coins and banknotes — a 500 Dong B Foreign Exchange Certificate from Vietnam is accepted with other old or withdrawn Vietnamese Dong banknotes and converted into cash in one go.

• Indicate the quantity of 500 Ðồng B Dong banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com makes it easy to sell foreign coins and banknotes for cash, taking Vietnamese Dong banknotes along with modern and withdrawn currency so everything is converted in one step.

Other Vietnamese Dong you can exchange: 10, 50, 100, 200, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000, 50000.