1 Piastre Cambodia

The 1 Piastre coin from Cambodia under French rule featured the profile of King Sisowath on its obverse, a rare nod to local monarchy on a currency controlled from Paris.

This silver piece, struck at the Paris Mint between 1927 and 1953, used .900 fine silver planchets. Its design included Khmer numerals on the reverse, blending colonial efficiency with faint cultural acknowledgment. Mintage figures vary by year, but records are spotty; some estimates suggest low runs in the hundreds of thousands, though that's unverified.

Weighing about 6 grams, it circulated widely in daily transactions across Indochina. Not every issue survived intact; many ended up as bullion during wartime shortages.

Some collectors prize the 1953 variant for its transitional edge, minted just before independence. As for myths, I've heard tales of hidden treasures in Angkor Wat, but that's just romantic nonsense.