Hanoian who owns every currency bill issued in Vietnam

Yearly, when the Lunar New Yr approaches, Hung checks up on his assortment of classic forex payments that he rigorously shops in six moisture-proof cupboards.

The 32-year-old, a resident of Hai Ba Trung District, says, “Many individuals suppose they’re nugatory, however they’re priceless to me”.

It’s now identified if he understands there’s a big and profitable marketplace for vintage forex payments.

An ideal vintage banknote, in accordance with Hung, have to be extraordinarily uncommon and have vibrant colours and an uncommon serial quantity.

Phung Van Hung holds up the largest-sized forex notice ever utilized in Vietnam. Photograph by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

The extra he collects, the extra he desires to increase his assortment. He’s prepared to journey throughout the nation and spend tens of thousands and thousands of dong (VND10 million = US$430) to put his palms on an ideal classic forex invoice.

Earlier than turning into eager about previous forex notes, Hung was accumulating postage stamps since he was in fifth grade. He purchased a majority of his practically 5,000 stamps utilizing cash given for breakfast. He has quickly stopped accumulating stamps since he can’t discover any extra distinctive ones.

Whereas in school in 2010 he visited the Hanoi Museum and noticed its assortment of historical cash. Appreciating the historic values related to every banknote, he spent VND150,000 to purchase 20 commemorative cash.

With social media not as ubiquitous then, to search out classic payments and cash, he needed to lookup categorised web sites and publish shopping for and promoting advertisements. He additionally scouted for vintage shops on Hold Bo Road in Hoan Kiem District.

After some time he was in a position to join with different collectors and other people sharing the fervour, permitting him to simply change and increase his assortment.

Hung’s classic forex assortment. Photograph by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

He says: “I didn’t dare inform my dad and mom about my assortment. Working part-time was the one manner for me to pursue my ardour”.

He sells previous banknotes with common serial numbers in his possession to lift cash to purchase others with the numbers he wishes.

His assortment has 1,000 notes and cash.

The payments are divided by interval.

Some are extraordinarily uncommon, together with a 50-dong invoice, one of many few issued with a smiling picture of Ho Chi Minh; a 5-dong notice, the one vertical notice issued in Vietnam; a 2 xu (a subunit of the dong) invoice, the smallest issued; and the French Indochina 100 piastres, the most important ever utilized in Vietnam.

Hung with a 2 xu invoice, the smallest-sized forex notice ever issued in Vietnam. Photograph by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

Many payments have historic and cultural tales related to the nation’s historical past.

As an example, the 500-dong invoice issued in 1949 depicts Vietnam’s victory over France in a battle fought on the Lo River.

“All of them give me a way of nationwide pleasure, and I am wanting ahead to discovering extra payments to gather”.

Hung additionally has a set of cash and banknotes from different international locations. He sells them to folks in search of to purchase payments with uncommon serial numbers or these matching somebody’s birthday.

Hung additionally has banknotes from greater than 180 international locations. Photograph by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

Just a few years in the past he traded a $100 invoice with a serial quantity comprising eight 8s for a Honda SH bike price greater than VND100 million. He had spent VND50 million to purchase it from a household within the central Nghe An Province.

The Vietnam Document Group acknowledged Phung Van Hung in March 2021 as “the proprietor of a set of previous and trendy currencies with probably the most stunning serial numbers in Vietnam”.

He hopes to construct a personal museum to show his assortment for folks with comparable pursuits to see.

“In the intervening time I am hoping to search out extra uncommon and invaluable payments to fulfill my curiosity and add to my assortment.

[I also want to put up] introductory movies on social media about forex payments issued in Vietnam to make folks”.