500 Riels 1972, Cambodia
| in Krause book | Number: 14 |
| Years of issue: | 1972 |
| Edition: | -- |
| Signatures: | Governor: Hing Kunthel, Chief Inspector: Chai Thoul, Advisor: Unknown |
| Serie: | 1956 - 1965 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 1958 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 179 х 87 |
| Printer: | Banque de France, Chamalieres |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama,Shakyamuni or simply the Buddha, was a sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. Born in the Shakya republic in the Himalayan foothills,Gautama Buddha taught primarily in northeastern India.
Avers:
The Peasant and two Zebus are plowing rice field.
A zebu, Bos primigenius indicus, Bos indicus or Bos taurus indicus, sometimes known as humped cattle or Brahman, is a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap. Zebu are well adapted to withstanding high temperatures, and are farmed throughout the tropical countries, both as pure zebu and as hybrids with taurine cattle, the other main type of domestic cattle. They are used as draught oxen, as dairy cattle and as beef cattle, as well as for byproducts such as hides and dung for fuel and manure.
On right and left borders are the Mais and Black pepper (Piper nigrum).
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. When dried, the fruit is known as a peppercorn. When fresh and fully mature, it is approximately 5 millimeters (0.20 in.) in diameter, dark red, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed. Peppercorns, and the ground pepper derived from them, may be described simply as pepper, or more precisely as black pepper (cooked and dried unripe fruit), green pepper (dried unripe fruit) and white pepper (ripe fruit seeds).
Black pepper is native to south India and is extensively cultivated there and elsewhere in tropical regions. Currently, Vietnam is the world's largest producer and exporter of pepper, producing 34% of the world's Piper nigrum crop as of 2013.
Dried ground pepper has been used since antiquity for both its flavour and as a traditional medicine. Black pepper is the world's most traded spice. It is one of the most common spices added to cuisines around the world. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine, not to be confused with the capsaicin characteristic of chili peppers. Black pepper is ubiquitous in the modern world as a seasoning and is often paired with salt. 
Peppers have so many advantages associated with their consumption. They have a lot of good nutrition and are low in calories thereby making them a good dietary component. All the various varieties peppers come in act as an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and potassium. In addition, they spice up the food and make it more tasty and satisfying.
They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors as well as tastes. They can also be found in various forms such as whole, grounded, dried, fresh, canned or frozen. Some add heat to the dish while others are sweet. The bell pepper, for example, can be found in green, yellow, red or green.
More about it you can read at Blog of Mr. Jess Miller.
Denominations are in top corners (in numerals).
Revers:
On the right side is the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh.
The Silver Pagoda is located on the south side of the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh. Formerly, it was known as Wat Ubosoth Ratanaram. The temple's official name is Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot (Khmer: ព្រះវិហារព្រះកែវមក៌ត, "Temple of the Emerald-Crystal Buddha") which is commonly shortened to Wat Preah Keo (Khmer: វត្តព្រះកែវ) in Khmer.
The vihara houses many national treasures including gold and jeweled Buddha statues. Most notable is a small green crystal Buddha (the "Emerald Buddha" of Cambodia) - some sources maintain it was made of Baccarat Crystal in XVII century but that's not possible since Baccarat Crystal didn't exist until XVIII century; other sources indicate it was made in XIX century by Lalique, a glass designer who lived in XIX-XX century, what makes more sense taking into account that the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh was built using the Bangkok's Grand Palace as a model so the Bangkok's Emerald Buddha would be copied at the same time; but there are not reliable sources - and a life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha decorated with 9584 diamonds, the largest of which weighs 25 carats. It was created in the palace workshops during 1906 and 1907, the gold Buddha weighs in at 90 kg and is dressed in royal regalia commissioned by King Sisowath. During King Norodom Sihanouk's pre-Khmer Rouge reign, the Silver Pagoda was inlaid with more than 5,000 silver tiles and some of its outer facade was remodeled with Italian marble. However, only a small area of these tiles are available to be viewed by the public on entering the pagoda.
The wall that surrounds the structures is covered with murals of the Reamker painted in 1903-1904 by Cambodian artists directed by the architect of the Silver Pagoda Oknha Tep Nimit Mak.
It is a notable wat (Buddhist temple) in Phnom Penh; Its grounds being used for various national and royal ceremonies. The cremated remains of Norodom Sihanouk are interred in the stupa of Kantha Bopha located on the temple's compound.
On right side is The Asian palmyra palm, toddy palm, or sugar palm (Borassus flabellifer) - national tree of Cambodia.
The Asian palmyra palm is a symbol of Cambodia, where it is a very common palm, found all over the country. It also grows near the Angkor Wat temple.
Borassus flabellifer, the Asian palmyra palm, toddy palm, or sugar palm, is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is reportedly naturalized in Pakistan, Socotra, and parts of China.
Borassus flabellifer is a robust tree and can reach a height of 30 meters (98 ft.). The trunk is grey, robust and ringed with leaf scars; old leaves remain attached to the trunk for several years before falling cleanly. The leaves are fan-shaped and 3 m. (9.8 ft.) long, with robust black teeth on the petiole margins. Like all Borassus species, B. flabellifer is dioecious with male and female flowers on separate plants. The male flowers are less than 1 cm. long and form semi-circular clusters, which are hidden beneath scale-like bracts within the catkin-like inflorescences. In contrast, the female flowers are golfball-sized and solitary, sitting upon the surface of the inflorescence axis. After pollination, these blooms develop into fleshy fruits 15-25 cm. wide, each containing 1-3 seeds. The fruits are black to brown with sweet, fibrous pulp and each seed is enclosed within a woody endocarp. Young palmyra seedlings grow slowly, producing only a few leaves each year (establishment phase), but at an as yet undetermined time, they grow rapidly, producing a substantial stem.
Denomination in words is centered. In top corners are in numerals.
Comments:
Withdrawn from circulation at 17.04.1975
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