Cambodian riel banknotes

Cambodian riel banknotes are paper currency issues of Cambodia, primarily issued by the National Bank of Cambodia and its predecessor authorities. The riel was introduced in 1953 by the Cambodia branch of the Institut d'Émission des États du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viet-nam, initially circulating alongside and at par with the French Indochinese piastre. Following the complete abolition of the monetary system under the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1980, a second riel currency was established by the central government on 20 March 1980, with new paper money distributed directly to the populace to revive economic exchange.

The first riel era spanned from 1953 to May 1975 and encompassed multiple banknote releases, including regular emissions between 1955 and 1956 in values from 1 to 500 riels, followed by further series in 1963 and 1972. Although the Khmer Rouge printed a banknote series in 1975 ranging from 0.1 riel (1 kak) to 100 riels, these were never officially issued due to the elimination of money. The regime later produced a distinct series of coloured banknotes in 1993 for limited use within territories under its control. Lawful national emissions recommenced under the second riel with the 1979 dated series, which provided fractional denominations alongside values up to 50 riels.

The designs of National Bank of Cambodia banknotes characteristically draw upon Angkorian architecture and traditional rural scenes. Fractional notes from both the unissued 1975 release and the post-1979 issues are distinguished by sub-unit denominations expressed in kak or sen, whilst regional factional printings such as the 1993 Khmer Rouge series are identifiable by their specific denominations and coloured designs.