The museum was commissioned by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) and was named Preah Srey Icanavarman Museum on the suggestion of the country's Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The exposition of the museum is divided between 12 sections. The first eight sections shed light on historical events related to currency and the economy since the first century of the Funan era till present day. The remaining four sections are dedicated to the role of the monetary and banking systems in social and economic development of the Kingdom.
The Preah Srey Icanavarman Museum is located in inDaun Penh district’s Wat Phnom commune in Phnom Penh. The collection is housed in a two-storey building next to the Cambodia Securities Exchange headquarters.
An interesting fact: since the Funan era and till the times of the Angkor empire Cambodia did use currency for trading with other nations but the country did not have its own national currency till the early 16th century when King Srey Chetha Thireach Rama Thepday finally issued the first ever national currency.
Photo cortesy phnompenhpost.com
Cambodia's First Monetary Museum Opens in Phnom Penh
News in Asia
Cambodia's first national museum devoted entirely to the Kingdom’s economic and financial development opened in the capital yesterday. It makes visitors acquainted with the history of Cambodia's money and economy from the first century to the present day.