Old Coins of Laos

The Modern Laos kip has been through numerous iterations over the past couple of years. In 1946, the Free Laotian kip lasted for a year before France took control of the country. The Royal Laotian kip replaced the French Indochinese piastre in 1952 as the country neared independence. In 1976, a Pathet Laos kip was introduced for use by the regions under the control of communists.

Finally, once the Pathet Lao had solidified their hold on Laos, the new Lao PDR kip was introduced in 1979 which is still in use today (simply known as Lao kip). Presently there are no coins from Laos in circulation, but at various points in time Lao currency did include them. The Royal Laos kip currency had 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents coins. In 1980, Laos coins were brought back into circulation in the Lao PDR Kip with denominations of 10, 20 and 50 cents. After the fall of the Soviet Union rampant inflation coupled with economic decline led to Laotian coins being phased out of currency.