{"product_id":"myanmar-p-69-1-kyat-1996-unc-chinze-karaweik-hall","title":"Myanmar P-69 1 Kyat 1996 UNC—½ Lion ½ Dragon Guard—Royal Bird-Barge—Burma","description":"\u003cp\u003eA tiny note with a mythical guardian on one side and a gilded floating palace on the other — this is Myanmar's 1 Kyat, one of the most charming small-denomination banknotes in Southeast Asian numismatics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dark blue on teal multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChinze\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinthe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eleogryph\u003c\/a\u003e) — the mythical lion-like guardian figure of Burmese Buddhist architecture\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBurmese script:\u003c\/strong\u003e မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်ဗဟိုဘဏ် (Central Bank of Myanmar)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e ၁ \/ 1 \/ တစ်ကျပ် (One Kyat)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blue on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNational Regatta\u003c\/strong\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kandawgyi_Lake\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKandawgyi Lake\u003c\/a\u003e, Yangon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKaraweik Hall\u003c\/strong\u003e — the iconic royal barge replica floating on the lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLettering:\u003c\/strong\u003e CENTRAL BANK OF MYANMAR \/ 1 \/ ONE KYAT\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-69; Numista N#202079\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bank initials (CBM)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 110 × 55 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_Bank_of_Myanmar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCentral Bank of Myanmar\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Burmese_kyat\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThird kyat\u003c\/a\u003e (1952–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe Guardian at the Gate\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinthe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChinze\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (also spelled \u003cstrong\u003eChinthe\u003c\/strong\u003e) is one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myanmar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMyanmar\u003c\/a\u003e. Part lion, part dragon, entirely mythological, it stands guard at the entrance of virtually every \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pagoda\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuddhist pagoda\u003c\/a\u003e and monastery in the country — always in pairs, always facing outward, always watching. The word itself comes from the Pali \u003cem\u003esiṃha\u003c\/em\u003e, meaning lion. In Burmese legend, the Chinze is the offspring of a woman and a lion, making it a creature of two worlds: the human and the divine. Its presence on this banknote is not decorative — it is a statement of identity. The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_Bank_of_Myanmar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCentral Bank of Myanmar\u003c\/a\u003e chose it as the face of this note deliberately: no symbol says this is Myanmar more completely.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe Floating Palace on the Lake\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Karaweik\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKaraweik Hall\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is a concrete replica of a traditional royal barge shaped like the \u003cstrong\u003ekaraweik\u003c\/strong\u003e — a mythical bird of paradise in Burmese legend — moored permanently on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kandawgyi_Lake\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKandawgyi Lake\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yangon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYangon\u003c\/a\u003e. Built in \u003cstrong\u003e1974\u003c\/strong\u003e, it was designed to evoke the grandeur of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Konbaung_dynasty\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKonbaung dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e royal barges that once sailed the \u003cstrong\u003eIrrawaddy River\u003c\/strong\u003e during state ceremonies. The lake sits adjacent to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kandawgyi_Nature_Park\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKandawgyi Nature Park\u003c\/a\u003e and offers a direct view of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shwedagon_Pagoda\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShwedagon Pagoda\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e reflected in the water — one of the most photographed scenes in all of Southeast Asia. The National Regatta depicted on this note is a traditional boat racing festival held on the lake, a celebration of community, competition, and the country's deep relationship with its waterways.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAbout Myanmar\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Myanmar derives from the Burmese Mranma Prañ, the formal literary name for the dominant \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bamar_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBamar\u003c\/a\u003e ethnic group; Burma is the colloquial form of the same word. The military junta renamed the country from Burma to Myanmar in 1989.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Naypyidaw\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNaypyidaw\u003c\/a\u003e (administrative, pop. ~1.2 million); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yangon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYangon\u003c\/a\u003e remains the largest city (~8 million metro)\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Naypyidaw means Abode of Kings in Burmese; Yangon means End of Strife.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~54 million (UN 2023) — comparable to South Korea or Colombia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 676,578 km² (261,228 mi²) — slightly larger than Texas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$5,900 (IMF 2023)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural gas, jade and gemstones, garments, rice, timber\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, India\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bamar_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBamar\u003c\/a\u003e (~68%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shan_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eShan\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Karen_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKaren\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rakhine_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRakhine\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mon_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMon\u003c\/a\u003e, and over 130 recognized ethnic groups\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUN\u003c\/a\u003e (1948); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ASEAN\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eASEAN\u003c\/a\u003e (1997); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Aligned_Movement\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNon-Aligned Movement\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Independent from Britain since January 4, 1948; under military rule since the 2021 coup\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eMyanmar Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMyanmar sits atop one of the world's largest jade deposits\u003c\/strong\u003e — the Hpakant mines in Kachin State produce an estimated 70% of the world's supply, a trade worth billions annually, almost none of which reaches ordinary citizens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe country has been under military rule for most of its post-independence history\u003c\/strong\u003e — the generals have governed directly or indirectly since 1962, with a brief democratic interlude from 2011 to 2021.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNaypyidaw was built in secret\u003c\/strong\u003e — in 2005 the military junta abruptly moved the capital from Yangon to a purpose-built city in the jungle, reportedly on the advice of an astrologer. It has 20-lane highways that are almost entirely empty.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Shwedagon Pagoda is believed to be over 2,600 years old\u003c\/strong\u003e and is plated with gold leaf donated by devotees over centuries — the tip of its stupa is encrusted with thousands of diamonds and rubies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMyanmar has one of the longest-running civil wars in the world\u003c\/strong\u003e — ethnic armed conflicts in border regions have continued almost without interruption since 1948.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eOwn this 1 Kyat note and hold a piece of a country of staggering beauty and staggering contradiction — a mythical lion on one side, a gilded floating palace on the other, and one of the most complex political histories in Asia in between.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52720119513399,"sku":"MM69UNC","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/69o_bd8bec03-9ff1-4934-9521-682c76863218.jpg?v=1784939320","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/myanmar-p-69-1-kyat-1996-unc-chinze-karaweik-hall","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}