SRV 5 Dong Commemorative

This 5 Dong coin from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam features Ho Chi Minh's portrait, a design choice that directly echoed his image on earlier banknotes. Struck in aluminum between 1988 and 1990, it was part of a modest series marking his legacy after his death in 1969.

Exact mintage figures remain murky; official records from that era are scarce, possibly due to administrative upheavals. What we do know is that these coins circulated widely in a time of economic doi moi reforms, making them more common than their commemorative status might suggest.

The obverse shows Ho Chi Minh in profile, while the reverse bears the Vietnamese state emblem—a simple nod to national identity. As for variations, some pieces show minor die differences, though nothing to get excited about.

Plenty of collectors overlook these, thinking they're just propaganda tokens. They aren't wrong, exactly.