The riel (/riˈɛl/; Khmer: រៀល, riĕl [ˈriəl]; sign: ៛; code: KHR) is the currency of Cambodia. There have been two distinct riel, the first issued between 1953 and May 1975. Between 1975 and 1980, the country had no monetary system. A second currency, also named “riel”, has been issued since 20 March 1980. Since the 1990s, citizens have used the riel alongside the U.S. dollar at the well-known rate of 4,000 KHR/USD for retail payments.
Popular belief suggests that the name of the currency comes from the Mekong river fish, the riĕl (“small fish” in Khmer). It is more likely that the name derives from the high silver content Spanish-American dollar whose value is eight reales, a coin widely used for international trade in Asia and the Americas from the 16th to 19th centuries.
KHR Coins
The 10, 20 and 50 centimes of 1953 and sen coins were minted in aluminum and were the same size as the corresponding att and xu (su) coins of Laos and South Vietnam (though without the holes in the Lao coins). A 1 riel coin about the size of a U.S. nickel was to be issued in 1970, as part of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s coin program, but was not released, perhaps due to the overthrow of the government of Norodom Sihanouk by Lon Nol.
The first coins were 5 sen pieces, minted in 1979 and made of aluminum. No more coins were minted until 1994, when denominations of 50, 100, 200 and 500 riels were introduced. However, these are rarely found in circulation.
KHR Banknotes
100 riels (2001-08-09 and 2015-01-14)
500 riels (2002-04-04 and 2014-01-14)
1,000 riels (2006-01-06 and 2017-10-25)
2,000 riels (2008-01-03 and 2013-11-09)
5,000 riels (2001-04-06 and 2017-10-25)
10,000 riels (2001-04-06 and 2015-05-07)
15,000 riels (2019)
20,000 riels (2008-05-12 and 2018)
30,000 riels (2021-10-18)
50,000 riels (2001-04-06 and 2014-05-06)
100,000 riels (1995 and 2013-05-14)