# French Indochinese piastre

> currency of French Indochina between 1885 and 1952

**Wikidata**: [Q1003344](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1003344)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Indochinese_piastre)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/french-indochinese-piastre

## Summary
The French Indochinese piastre was the official currency of French Indochina, circulating between 1885 and 1952. Issued by the Banque de l'Indochine, it replaced regional currencies like the Vietnamese cash and Cambodian franc before being succeeded by the North and South Vietnamese đồng, Lao kip, and Cambodian riel.

## Key Facts
- **Definition**: Currency of French Indochina between 1885 and 1952.
- **Instance Of**: Currency (specifically for French Indochina), and "piastre".
- **Issuing Authority**: Banque de l'Indochine.
- **Country**: French Indochina.
- **Replaced**: Vietnamese cash, Lat money, Cambodian franc.
- **Replaced By**: North Vietnamese đồng, South Vietnamese đồng, Lao kip, and riel.
- **Unit Symbol**: ICFP, $.
- **Currency Symbol Description**: Dollar sign.
- **Price/Value (1885)**: 5.37 French francs.
- **Multilingual Aliases**: Piastra de la indochina francesa, Piastra de Indochina Francesa, piastra indochina, 仏印ピアストル, Piastre indochinoise, французский индокитайский пиастр, пиастр Индокитая, пиастр Французского Индокитая, and пиастр.
- **Wikipedia Presence**: Documented in 21 languages including Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
- **Digital Identifiers**: Freebase ID `/m/09frc5`; Yale LUX ID `concept/5307ea09-27c6-442a-a725-2821d8c0bd14`; Museum Digital Tag ID `35039`.
- **Visual Documentation**: Imaged via an 1885 coin without background and a 20 Piastres 1898 face note.

## FAQs
**What currencies did the French Indochinese piastre replace and what replaced it?**
The piastre replaced regional monetary systems including the Vietnamese cash, Lat money, and Cambodian franc. Upon its discontinuation, it was replaced by four distinct currencies corresponding to the newly independent states: the North Vietnamese đồng, South Vietnamese đồng, Lao kip, and riel (Cambodia).

**What was the value of the French Indochinese piastre?**
In 1885, its year of introduction, the French Indochinese piastre was valued at 5.37 French francs.

**Who issued the French Indochinese piastre?**
The currency was issued by the Banque de l'Indochine.

**What symbols were used for the French Indochinese piastre?**
It utilized the unit symbols "ICFP" and "$", with the symbol description being the dollar sign.

**How is the French Indochinese piastre documented globally?**
The currency has a dedicated Wikipedia article titled "French Indochinese piastre" available in 21 languages, including Vietnamese, Russian, Japanese, and Arabic. It also holds specific identifiers within databases like Freebase, Yale LUX, and Museum Digital.

## Why It Matters
The French Indochinese piastre serves as a crucial monetary bridge between traditional regional coinage and the modern national currencies of Southeast Asia. Introduced during the height of French colonial expansion, it standardized trade and economic administration across the politically diverse territories of French Indochina (modern-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia). By replacing disparate systems like the Vietnamese cash, the colonial power consolidated fiscal control. Its ultimate fragmentation into the North and South Vietnamese đồng, Lao kip, and Cambodian riel directly mirrors the geopolitical dissolution of French Indochina into independent nation-states, making the currency a tangible economic indicator of regional decolonization.

## Notable For
- **Monetary Transition**: Serving as the vital intermediate currency that replaced pre-colonial forms (Vietnamese cash, Lat money) and preceded modern national currencies.
- **Colonial Standardization**: Acting as the unifying legal tender across the entire French Indochinese union, issued centrally by the Banque de l'Indochine.
- **Symbolic Dualism**: Featuring both a localized abbreviation (ICFP) and the globally recognized dollar sign ($).
- **Post-Colonial Legacy**: Being uniquely succeeded by four distinct national currencies (North and South Vietnamese đồng, Lao kip, and riel) rather than a single successor.
- **Global Documentation**: Maintaining a robust cross-linguistic footprint with Wikipedia entries in 21 languages, spanning diverse scripts from Arabic and Persian to Ukrainian and Chinese.

## Body

### Core Definition and Classification
The French Indochinese piastre is defined as the official medium of exchange for the territory of French Indochina, having circulated precisely between the years 1885 and 1952. Structurally, it is classified as an `instance of` the broader concept `currency`—specifically contextualized with the qualifier `French Indochina`—and the monetary unit `piastre`. As a medium of exchange, it fits the broader Wikidata classification of a "generally accepted medium of exchange for goods or services," serving as a unit of account, store of value, and means of payment.

### Historical Succession and Replacement
The currency's lifecycle is bound by distinct historical transitions in Southeast Asian monetary policy. 
- **Predecessors**: The piastre was introduced to unify and replace various older currencies circulating in the region. It formally replaced the **Vietnamese cash**, **Lat money**, and the **Cambodian franc**. 
- **Successors**: Following its discontinuation in 1952, the piastre did not have a single successor. Instead, it was replaced by a quartet of newly established national currencies reflecting the political changes in the region: the **North Vietnamese đồng**, the **South Vietnamese đồng**, the **Lao kip**, and the **riel** (Cambodia).

### Issuance and Valuation
The central authority behind the currency was the **Banque de l'Indochine**, which is documented as its official central bank and issuer. Upon its establishment in 1885, the French Indochinese piastre was pegged with an exchange value of **5.37 French francs**.

### Symbols and Nomenclature
The currency utilized specific symbols for financial notation. Its designated unit symbols were **ICFP** and **$**, with the symbol explicitly described in databases as the "dollar sign." It is known by numerous aliases across different languages, reflecting its historical usage in a diverse linguistic region and beyond:
- **Romance Languages**: Piastra de la indochina francesa, Piastra de Indochina Francesa, piastra indochina, Piastre indochinoise.
- **East Asian Languages**: 仏印ピアストル.
- **Slavic Languages**: французский индокитайский пиастр, пиастр Индокитая, пиастр Французского Индокитая, and the shorthand пиастр.

### Digital and Institutional Identifiers
The currency is tracked and identified across various global knowledge systems and digital infrastructures:
- **Encyclopedic Coverage**: The `wikipedia_title` is "French Indochinese piastre," which is linked across 21 different language editions (including `en`, `fr`, `vi`, `ru`, `ja`, `zh`). 
- **Authority and Linked Data**: It possesses specific identifiers within major databases:
  - **Freebase ID**: `/m/09frc5` (referenced from the archived Freebase dump dated 2013-10-28).
  - **Yale LUX ID**: `concept/5307ea09-27c6-442a-a725-2821d8c0bd14`.
  - **Museum Digital Tag ID**: `35039`.

### Visual Documentation
The physical appearance of the currency is preserved through specific visual records. The knowledge base captures imagery of the currency, including a **French Indochina Piastre from 1885** (provided without background) and the face of a **20 Piastres note from 1898**. These visual records verify the coinage and banknote designs issued by the Banque de l'Indochine.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013