Laos P-42 DICTATOR 100000 kip 2011 VF+ Very Fine Plus｜communist｜Phomvihane
$8.89
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$8.89
You will receive a banknote in the design indicated in Very Fine Plus condition: circulated with some minor folds and signs of wear but whites still bright
Front:
- Dictator of Laos Kaysone Phomvihane
- Wat That Luang stupa in Vientiane ( A stupa is a Buddhist monument that holds holy remains or sacred objects and is used as a place for meditation and pilgrimage)
- Coat of arms
Back: Kaysone Phomvihane Museum with statue
Security thread: holographic, printed with demetalized Lao denomination
Watermark: Kaysone Phomvihane
Source: Numista
Kaysone Phomvihane (1920–1992)
Revolutionary founder and one-party ruler of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Born in 1920 in Savannakhet, on the great Mekong artery, Kaysone Phomvihane grew up where three worlds pressed against each other like tectonic plates: French colonial administration, Vietnamese revolutionary networks, and an ancient Buddhist monarchy rooted in village life. Trained in law in Hanoi, he absorbed Marxism-Leninism not as a slogan but as a disciplined system for reorganizing society.
During the wars that followed the collapse of European empire, he became the principal architect and commander of the Pathet Lao, the communist movement that fought first the French, then the royal government and its foreign backers. For three decades he built a tight, Vietnamese-aligned cadre structure in the mountains and forests, turning a rural guerrilla force into a party-army capable of taking power.
From about 1964 to 1973, the United States military carried out tens of thousands of bombing runs, dropping more than two million tons of ordnance — more than was dropped on Germany and Japan combined in World War II — making Laos, per capita, one of the most heavily bombed countries in history.
In 1975, as the monarchy quietly disappeared, Kaysone emerged as the central figure of the new order. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic was proclaimed, and he became first Prime Minister, later President. From that moment, he ruled as a dictator in the literal political sense: a one-party state, no legal opposition, no free press, no competitive elections, and security services that ran re-education camps for former officials, officers, intellectuals, and suspected dissenters. Power was monopolized by the Party, and the Party revolved around him.
Yet his dictatorship was not built on theatrical terror or personal cult. Kaysone governed in a style that was austere, bureaucratic, and paternal. He sincerely believed socialism was the only path to rescue a war-ravaged, impoverished, multi-ethnic land from fragmentation and dependency. In his own mind, he was not a tyrant but a historical custodian, imposing discipline so that a fragile nation could survive.
Did his rule make people better off? Partially—and at a cost.
Under him, the country gained:
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Political stability after one of the most heavily bombed conflicts in history
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Expanded literacy and basic healthcare
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A unified state apparatus over dozens of ethnic groups
But it also endured:
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Re-education camps and political imprisonment
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Mass exile of the old elite and middle class
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Rigid socialist planning that kept the economy poor and closed
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A frozen political life in which fear replaced open speech
He was not a mass-murdering despot in the mold of the twentieth century’s worst, but neither was he a gentle reformer. He was a Leninist state-builder, convinced that unity and ideological order justified the suppression of pluralism.
On banknotes and monuments he appears calm, bespectacled, almost professorial. The image is telling. Kaysone Phomvihane was a dictator, unquestionably—but a quiet one: a man who transformed peasant revolution into permanent one-party rule, who believed himself benevolent, and who inscribed the logic of the Cold War deep into the political DNA of his country.
His spirit feels like compressed gravity rather than flame — a man who carried the weight of history so long that it bent inward and became silence. Not a visionary mystic, not a blood-drunk conqueror, but a somber architect of inevitability, convinced that suffering could be made orderly, that chaos could be disciplined into meaning. One senses in him the loneliness of those who believe they are instruments of necessity: a calm surface, a closed horizon, and beneath it the unspoken sorrow of knowing that to build a state, one must first harden the heart.
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World Money Store is me, Βrian Grοss, the sole proprietor of this small business, based in Washington D.C. I've spend half my adult life in The Netherlands and Mexico and have an addiction to travel, history and languages (Spanish, Dutch Russian and a few others); Arabic my current challenge. My personal instagram is @df2dc.
I've been on ebay for 22 years, and I am also on Whatnot. I put together the website myself, and do all the purchasing.
I travel around the world to personally select a range of banknotes that I KNOW match the interests of my customers, and by traveling to the right places, I get them at the best prices, too.
I have three main groups of customers:
1. the ones who love diverse colorful and affordable notes from around the world
2. those who love to own pieces of the propaganda of communist dictatorships (Cuba, North Korea) and "bad guys" like the Ayatollah, Saddam, Gadaffi. Iran (Shah, Ayatollah), Syria (Assad, current).
3. those who seek Venezuelan and Iranian currency. We sell banknotes for collecting purposes only (our intention).
I happen to have a lot of depth and breadth in Mexico and Brazil, in addition to Cuba and Iran.
I don't focus on anything from the U.S. and Canada, items from before World War II, "lucky" serial numbers, or PMG-graded items.
Buy with Confidence
- You will receive (a) banknote(s) similar to the one in the picture, in the condition mentioned in the listing title such as UNC, VF, etc. See below for definitions.
- Serial numbers will vary
- Authenticity: All banknotes are guaranteed genuine currency, sourced from reliable suppliers and verified by our team. Exception: some souvenir and gold foil notes that are clearly marked as souvenir, fantasy, gold foil, etc.
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Banknote Condition Guide (UNC, XF, VF, F etc.)
- UNC (Uncirculated): No folds/creases; full crispness/sheen. May have "half moon" at edge of security thread.
- AU (About Uncirculated): Nearly perfect, with a single light fold or handling mark that doesn't break the paper. Crisp and colorful.
- XF a.k.a. EF (Extremely Fine): Crisp, firm, bright; a few light folds or one firm crease.
- VF Plus: Minor folds/stains; white areas are bright, still not quite Extra Fine.
- VF (Very Fine): Several folds; paper firmer than average; corners lightly worn.
- VF Minus: VF but may show foxing (yellow/brown patches), thinner paper, more folds/wrinkles/small tears (1-3 mm), otherwise intact.
- F (Fine): Well-used, many folds or creases; paper is soft; some soiling and/or pen marks.
- VG (Very Good) / Limp/worn/faded with heavy creasing/edge wear/tears.
Coin grading guide
- BU (Brilliant Uncirculated): Mint luster, never used
- UNC (Uncirculated): No wear, may have minor bag marks
- VF: clear, readable, noticeably worn, duller surfaces, dirt/toning common
- XF: sharp detail, light high-point wear, traces of luster, mostly clean fields
- AU: near-mint detail, luster largely present, only tiny rub, minimal grime
- F (Fine): Significant wear, major details visible
- G (Good): Heavy wear, outlines and shape remain
A note on “dirt” and dark spots
Circulated coins often show some toning (natural color change of the metal) and sometimes adhered dirt/deposits (a bonded film or small patch that cannot be removed without conservation or cleaning). A coin can still be correctly graded VF/XF/AU even if it has a small, stubborn smudge—that typically affects eye appeal, not the underlying wear grade, unless it is corrosion or damage.
Very Fine (VF) coin
What VF means: The coin has seen real circulation. Major features are clear, but high points are noticeably worn down.
Wear & detail (what you’ll see)
- Moderate wear across the whole design
- High points are flattened/rounded (not sharp)
- Most major elements are fully visible (portrait, emblem, date, legends)
- Inner detail is partially worn: hair strands, feather lines, leaf veins may be merged or softened
- Rim is complete; lettering should be readable and strong
Marks, scratches, and rims
- Many small contact marks from circulation
- Light scratches/hairlines are common
- Small rim nicks or bumps may appear
- No single deep gouge should dominate the coin (unless disclosed as a problem)
Brilliance / luster
- No mint luster
- Surface looks matte or uniformly dull
- Any “shine” is usually from wear smoothing, not original luster
Color, toning, and dirt
- Toning is often medium gray/brown (varies by metal)
- Darker color may collect in recesses
- Adhered grime in protected areas is common
- You may see a small dark smudge/spot (a few mm) that cannot be removed without conservation
In plain terms: VF is solid, honest circulation with full readability and strong main design, but clearly worn.
Extremely Fine (XF) coin
What XF means: Only light circulation. The design is sharp, with wear mainly limited to the highest points.
Wear & detail (what you’ll see)
- Light wear on the highest points only
- Most inner detail remains crisp: separation in hair, feathers, shield lines, leaf structure
- Legends, date, and rims are sharp and well-defined
- High-point flatness is present but limited and localized
Marks, scratches, and rims
- Fewer marks than VF
- Small contact ticks may be present
- Light hairlines possible
- Rim usually clean with only minor nicks
Brilliance / luster
- Some original luster may remain, especially in protected areas (around lettering, inside wreaths, fields near devices)
- Coin may show a slight “flash” when tilted, but not full cartwheel luster
Color, toning, and dirt
- Toning tends to be lighter and thinner than VF
- Dirt is usually limited to crevices
- A stubborn smudge can exist, but it will stand out more against the otherwise clean surfaces
In plain terms: XF still looks “sharp” at a glance—most detail is there—with only light wear on the tops.
About Uncirculated (AU) coin
The coin looks close to uncirculated but has the slightest wear (often called “rub” or “friction”) on the highest points.
Wear & detail (what you’ll see)
- Nearly full detail
- Only the very highest points show faint friction (cheekbone, hair curls, eagle breast, crown tips, etc.)
- No broad flattening; design remains crisp
Marks, scratches, and rims
- Contact marks may exist (coins can get marks without heavy wear)
- “Bag marks” (small dings from storage/handling) may appear
- Major scratches or damage are not expected unless disclosed
Brilliance / luster
- Most mint luster is present
- Often shows a clear “cartwheel” effect when rotated in light
- The only dull areas should be on the tiny rub points
Color, toning, and dirt
- Toning may be present, sometimes attractive
- Dirt/deposits should be minimal
- A small dark patch (few mm) can still occur from old residue or contamination; it may be non-removable without conservation
- If the patch is corrosion/etching (metal damage), that is a problem, and should be disclosed separately
In plain terms: AU is a “near-mint” circulated coin—luster mostly intact, with only a whisper of wear.
Final thoughts
Grade primarily describes wear. Surface issues can exist at any grade:
- A coin can be VF/XF/AU and still have a small, stubborn smudge
- A coin with corrosion, pitting, holes, deep gouges, harsh cleaning, or heavy rim damage is considered a problem coin the we will describe specifically in the listing.