My 21 December 2008 hunting trip, Butterworth roadwalk coin dealer

I arrived a bit late at Butterworth Roadwalk on 21 December 2008. Butterworth Roadwalk is situated at Jalan Bagan Luar near jetty for Penang Ferry. It is open from as early as 6am until around 3pm everyday. Butterworth Roadwalk is a flea market where you can buy antique, collectibles, hand phones, clothes and almost everything you need for everyday life. There is another similar Penang Roadwalk in Georgetown, Penang which is older and got many choice of item. I arrived there at around 1pm and go straight to Butterworth Roadwalk to meet some old friends.

This is Zulkifle, most frequent roadwalk visitor knew him. He has been selling banknotes and coins for over 10 years. If you're looking for Malaysia old banknote or Malaya and British Borneo Banknote you must look for him. He has one piece Malaya King George VI $10 dollar (purple color) at very fine condition right now. I try to take the picture of that note but it a bit blur. That note is very hard to find and he is selling them for a good bargain price. If you want to contact him you can called him at this number 017-5829382.

Another frequent banknote and coin seller at this flea market is Ah kit. He is new at this flea market but got many straits settlements coins for sale. He is also the one with consistent rare Malaysia banknote and coin up for grab at this flea market. Right now, he got one piece 1971 10 sen at almost extremely fine condition (you can check the price at You need extra money? coin ) and one piece Malaysia RM1 Tan Sri Ali Abul signature at almost extremely fine condition up for grab. He sale that RM1 Tan Sri Ali Abul signature at RM1000. You can check the price of this banknote at my later post You need extra money? banknote You can contact Ah Kit at his number 012-6727950.

If you ever go to this flea market and want to buy banknote and coin from them, don't ever forget to mention a bald headed friend from internet (that me) told you about them. It would be a good ice breaking if you don't know my two friendly friends and you maybe will get a good discount. A best time to go and buy from them is as early as 9am. You can get check my other hunting trip at where to find for collection label.

Wish you all happy New Year 2009 and have a prosperous year ahead.

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European community euro coin

European Community euro has been in the market since 1st January 2002. Only twelve out of the fifteen countries in the European Community participated at that time excluding Denmark, Great Britain and Sweden. After 2002 we cannot see the German mark, the French, Belgian and Luxembourg franc, the Italian lira, the Spanish peseta, the Portuguese escudo, the Netherlands gulden, the Greek drachma, the Finnish markka, the Australian schilling, or the Irish pound. Andorra which using France and Spain currency also using euro. In addition, the non-European community Countries of Vatican City, San Marino and Monaco are already using them.

The coins are 1cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 euro and the 2 euro. The euro is equal to 100 cents. The 1, 2 and 5 cents coins are comprised of copper coated steel. The 10, 20 and 50 cents coins are comprised of brass. The 1 and 2 euros are bi-metallic of copper-nickel and brass. Each country can only have

their own design on the obverse of the coin.

This are some of the euro in my possesion.

France 50 cents; 7.8100 g., Brass, 24.2 mm. Obv: The seed sower divides date and RF Rev: Denomination and map Edge: Reeded.

France 2 euro; 8.5200 g., Bi-Metallic Brass center in Copper-Nickel ring, 25.6 mm. Obv: Stylized tree divides RF within circle (liberte egalite fraternite), date below Rev: Denomination and map Edge: Reeding with 2's and stars.

Spain euro; 7.5000 g., Bi-Metallic Copper-Nickel center in Brass ring, 23.2 mm. Ruler: Juan Carlos I Obv: Head 1/4 left within circle and star border Rev: Value and map within circle Edge: Reeded and plain sections.

Austria 10 cents; Obv: Stephen's Cathedral, date on right Rev: Denomination and map

Italy euro; Obv: Drawing by Leornardo da Vinci, date on right Rev: Denomination and map

Germany euro and two euro; Obv: An eagle and stars, date below Rev: Denomination and map

*Obv=obverse, Rev=Reverse

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My 21 December 2008 hunting trip, KTM Butterworth Money Changer

0n 18 until 21 December 2008, I making a road trip to Alor Setar, Kedah and Penang in Malaysia. At first, I am planning to go to other Malaysia place which I haven't explored yet; Kuching but I change my trip to this place. I also planning to go to Thailand but I cancelled the trip due to security reasons and it is a bit hard to go in there with an image of a riot happening in Thailand airport recently. Alor setar is famous for its pekan Rabu, Menara Alor Setar and Ikan Pekasam. Penang is famous for its nasi kandar, KOMTAR building, ferry services and Penang Bridge.

I am not very familiar with Alor Setar and I cannot find any coin and banknote dealer in this town. This is my first time traveling alone to Alor Setar and I am not lucky enough in looking for old coin and antique here. A friend told me that there is a flea market in Alor Setar selling antiques and collectibles. I cannot find that place since I am still new about this town road and places. Maybe will be going to this places again next time.

Penang is a food heaven in Malaysia and also and antique heaven for collector like me. I go to Penang almost once a year and never failed to bring back antique with me. This is my 4th trip to Penang this year. Will be planning to go to Penang again after Chinese New Year Next Year. For this trip, I only have time on 21 December and I can only target my hunt for banknote and coin. I arrived in Butterworth at 1pm after having a lunch at the famous Din Ikan Bakar Restaurant in Kepala Batas.

Upon arrival I go to jetty and look for one money changer shop in Butterworth Keretapi Tanah Melayu building. Penang have many money changer and it is a best source for you to check for banknote and coin that interest you. I arrived on Sunday and not many Money Changer open in Sunday. I knew the only money changer open during this day is at this KTM building. It is very easy to find this place. Just look for a Penang ferry and go to Butterworth jetty. You can find this KTM building when you can see two old locomotive in front of this building.

The best time to go buy banknotes and coin in Money Changer across Penang is before school Holiday (March until September). There will be less people during that time and many choices for collector like me. Al Bakihath Forex Sdn Bhd is owned by Mohamed Sirajuddin and an authorized money changer. You can contact them via this number 012-4584576, 04-3327040 or 04-3321337. They have many old banknotes especially Malaysia banknote and Queen Elizabeth Malaya and British Borneo Banknote. You need to bargain and don't forget to asked if they kept any similar banknote on display in their drawer (they always do). Most of time for my trip here, the best banknote is kept in their drawer not on display. You need to go early morning when you want to get the best bargain price. Trust me, It will be hard to bargaining about the price after 12pm.

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My tips on how to handle your coin collections

There are many things you need to know about do and don't when you're handling your collections. When you mishandling your coin, most probably you will be lowering the coin grade. This is some of the thing I do to take care coins in my collection is always in good condition. Some of you maybe think that this tips is a bit ridiculous but for a coin collector like me, I don't want my coin to downgrade just of my own mistake on mishandling them.

• Our hands maybe touching a chemical that can contaminate our coin. Before handling your coin, make sure you clean your hand with soap and water. Only handle your coin after you dry your hands with towel. It is much better if you can get a glove specially made for handling coins and banknotes.
  
  
• Make sure you handle your coins at a minimum. It is better if you don't touch your coin at all if it is no need for you to do that.
  
  
  
  Never hold a coin by placing your fingers on the coin's surfaces.
  
  
  
  Instead, hold the coins by its edge. You maybe already washed your hand but human skin contains oil and contaminants that can damage a coin surface. I have many beautiful coin which should be in Mint condition but has a finger mark on their surface.
  
  
• This advice I pick from a book I read "2009 guide to US coin price & value trend". Never speak or sneeze while bending over a coin. While this advice may sound silly, it's practical. Saliva and mucus can damage a coin's surface if contact is made.
  
  
• Invest in a good and trustable coin album or coin holder. Good and Trustable meant that it will take good care of your coin and it is made from a trustable material. Asked your coin dealer for a good recommendation. you already invest on your coin, why don't you invest on something that can take care of them.
  
  
  
  
  Never put your coins together after you receive them from your coin dealer or coin shop. Putting them together will make them striking the surfaces of other coins during bagging and shipping. This is called contact marks or bag marks.
  
  
  
  Like this straits settlements coin I just receive from my dealer, i just wish if he can be a bit caring on putting an individual plastic on them.


• As what I have told you before, never ever cleaned your coin. A cleaned coin maybe is much nicer and easy to look at to some but for me a cleaned coin is just a waste on your money. Most of the straits settlements coin I bought from the market already been cleaned by the seller or the owner. A patina (the film that builds up on the surfaces of the
  coin), exactly help to protect your coin from chemical reaction. Please, just let the expert do the cleaning for your coin.
  
  
• Don't put your coin in a PVC or paper envelop for a long time. Some of this will make your coins tone in time, Asked your coin shop what is the best item to store your coin. Some coin holder plastic that made from PVC is also a thing you need to make sure you don't used. Some paper envelop has sulfur chemical on them and will tone and damage your coins in a long run.
  
  
• Do not leave your coins exposed to sunlight, high heat or high humidity for very long, it will damage your coin in times.

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Coin & Banknote Collecting Software

Computer can help you easily organize your collection. I am using Microsoft excel to organize all banknote and coin in my collection. Some of you maybe using Microsoft access or word. All of my collection is put into category that I prefer. Some of you maybe want to group them into for collection, for sale, duplicates, partial collections for family or friends, not yet valued and any other category which suits you. Anyway, don't ever forget to copy your data into external harddisk or thumbdrive. It will be a painful thing if your data is missing because of viruses or you PC suddenly kaput.

For you who have an extra budget and want to find an inventory sofware for your collection, I found this coin & paper money inventory software via the net. All of this software is Vista compitable.

1. Carlisle Development Corporation Collector Software

From their website I can found some of the key benefits that this software will give you:

• Current currency values provided from CDN, an acknowledged industry leader (version with values only). The only currency collection software with these values
• Flexible and powerful report generation
• User customizable
• Single and multiline reports per item
• Landscape or Portrait mode printing
• User controlled sorting and selection
• An unlimited number of report formats may be stored utilizing the full set of information fields
• Label printing and other specialized formats (with or without pictures)
• Scanned image support
  

You can read more about it here: http://www.carlisledevelopment.com/currencyHome.php#

This is their price for this software:

Currency Collector's Assistant Plus with values
$104.95 CCAP13

Coin and Currency Package with values
$134.90 CCPWV

Coin and Currency Deluxe Value Package
$199.90 CCDP

Currency Collector's Assistant Plus
$94.95 CCA

Currency Collector's Value Package
$129.90 CCVP62

What make this software interesting is it grading assistant software. It suppose to help you grading your coin using computer. I try to find if they have any info regarding what database they're using but I can only found that they a using Official A.N.A. Grading Guide, over 1,000 high quality coin images of all U.S. coin types minted by the United States Mint since 1793. Pictures are included for all base grades from AG-3 to uncirculated.

2. Exact Change Coin Collecting Software

The series page provides you with a powerful tool to organize your collection in whatever way best suits your needs as a collector. You can add, remove or rename coin types. You can represent a coin type with an image of one of your own coins, or Exact Change will automatically represent it with the appropriate image from among the more than sixteen thousand images included on the DVD. The info tab provides metallic content and historical information about each series. The stats tab provides a summary of the coins of this type in your collection, the number of varieties you have, their price and value, number of duplicates, etc.

While other coin collecting software may include cheesy little images of U.S. coinage, Exact Change includes over seventeen thousand images for coins from around the globe. These high quality images display a level of detail that has never before been available. No other coin software offers this many images, nor images of this quality. Many coin collecting programs are available for electronic download, requiring that they contain a minimal amount of picture data. Others are shipped on a compact disk with a 640 Megabyte capacity. Only Exact Change is shipped on a DVD with a 4.7 Gigabyte capacity because Exact Change contains so many high quality images. All images are taken directly from the coin, none were scanned from a magazine picture.

This is their price for the software. They also including a Krause Publications Books in PDF format for sale at a bargain price.

Exact Change software for coin collectors
Wild Man Software
Exact change is the leading software for coin collectors.
$79.95

2008 Standard catalog of World Coins
Krause Publications
The 2008 DVD set includes three volumes of the Standard Catalog of World Coins in PDF format:
● 1801-1900 ● 1901-2000 ● 2001-Date
Save $74.99 off the retail price by ordering today!
$25

Exact Change & World Coin Catalog bundle
Save even more when you order both of these quality products and you'll save on shipping as well! It's the ultimate software bundle for coin collectors.
$94.95

You can Read more about this Software here: http://www.exactchange.info/index.htm

3. Coin Organizer Deluxe v3.0 by Primasoft.

Coin Organizer Deluxe is a Windows software for coin collectors, hobbyists, dealers, and clubs. The software helps you to organize, catalog, and manage all coin related data. For the database novice, Coin Organizer's intuitive interface and ready-to-use coin inventory solutions make it easy to set up and use.

• Modern Coins: organize and maintain modern coin collections.
• Ancient Coins: organize and maintain ancient coin collections.
• Medieval Coins: organize and maintain medieval to modern coin collections.
• Coin Web Resources: organize web coin resources.
• Coin Contacts: organize coin related contacts.
• Build Coin Glossaries: create dictionary of coin terms.

The Software is price at about $75 excluding posting. You can read more about them here: http://www.primasoft.com/deluxeprg/coodx.htm

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coin edge varieties

I found this coin edge varieties in Krause Publications I bought. I realize that they put the edge varieties (picture) in a position which the top one is normally been used by an older coin then the bottom edge varieties. This edge varieties is helping to make the life difficult for the people who want to make the fake or counterfit coin. Sometimes a coin with a mistakenly print edge varieties will bring more value to the coin itself.

Source: Krause Publications Book; 2009 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000, 36th Official Edition

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Numismaster.com powered by Krause Publications; another tools to find your coin.

www.numismaster.com

I found out about this website after I bought a Krause Publications Book; 2009 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000, 36th Official Edition. This website is powered by Krause Publications team. You can read article about numismatic news, coin prices, banknote reporter, world coin news and coin magazine.

One of the article for today stated that 11 large size banknotes survive a fire in Florida. The 12 paper money is using PCGS Currency holders, including two 1907 $10 Gold Certificates. It is put in a one hour safe rating but it took four hour before the fire can be put out. The DuPont Mylar-D material used in the holders is helping to save that banknote from burning, what a miracle. That just show us how quality is important to make sure our collection is not damage by some cheap item.

The best part is, this website can help you find any coins or banknotes that you're looking for. You just need to register with them for free and start looking for your coins after the registeration. I am still a bit slow on understanding their searching form. I tried to look for an old coin from 1820 and type the year in the date field but I cannot find my coin. Most of the detail (mintage, composition, coinage type, weight etc) about coin you're looking for is given in this website. This website also sale coins and banknotes. You also can buy Krause Publications Books via this website.

I try many times looking for information about my 1820 coins in here but I still cannot find anything about it. Maybe I still don't understand about their searching method but this website sure can be a helpful tool for me on looking my old coins next time. Will tell the story about my coat of arms series-east India company coins next time. For this time being, google still the best tool to find any information you want on the world wide web.

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Avril lavinge and the canada coins

The only thing I know about canada is most probably their pop rock singer; avril lavinge. Her concert in Malaysia this year is becoming a big story because the ban (because she is sexy?) and then approved by Malaysian government. The reason? The timing of the concert coincides with the Independence Day celebrations period and that there would also be prayers to be held around that time of the month. Some youth movement of a political party also said that the show was inappropriate as it could bring about bad influence to the young, and had urged the government to stop the concert.

The concert been held in Stadium Merdeka on 29 august 2008 starting at 8pm. It is a long wait for Malaysian like me to attend her concert. Unlucky for me I have a plan field trip during that weekend which is cancel last minute and I cannot get hold a free standing ticket for two on that day. Last night, I remember about the concert and want to know more about my canada coins.

Canada 25 cents ~Weight: 5.0600 g. Comp.: Nickel Ruler: Elizabeth II Obv.: Young bust right Rev.: Caribou left, denomination above, date at right Size: 23.8 mm.

Canada 10 cents ~Weight: 2.1400 g. Comp.: Nickel Ruler: Elizabeth II Obv.: Crowned head right Rev.: Bluenose sailing left, date at right, denomination below Edge: Reeded Size: 18.03 mm.

Canada is located to the north of the United States, and spans the full breadth of the northernportion of North America from Atlantic to Pacific oceans, except for the State of Alaska. It has a total area of 3,850,000 sq. mi. (9,971,550 sq. km.) and a population of 30.29 million.

In the early years, Canada’s coins were struck in England at the Royal Mint in London or at the Heaton Mint in Birmingham. Issues struck at the Royal Mint do not bear a mint mark, but those produced by Heaton carry an “H”. All Canadian coins have been struck since January 2, 1908, at the Royal Canadian Mints at Ottawa and recently at Winnipeg except for some 1968 pure nickel dimes struck at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, and do not bear mint marks. Ottawa’s mint mark (C) does not appear on some 20th Century Newfoundland issues, however, as it does on English type sovereigns struck there from 1908 through 1918. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Elizabeth II is Head of State as Queen of Canada.

MONETARY SYSTEM

1 Dollar = 100 Cents

Capital:Ottawa.

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Krause Publications Book; 2009 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000, 36th Official Edition

Last Sunday, I bought this book after a long year waiting and searching. Krause Publications Books is a must for a world coin collector like me. Why the waiting and don't buy them via online? I don't like buying item online with all the waiting for my item to come to me. When come to buying, I am an old school guy. I like to feel the thing before paying for them. I like selling online because I don't need to set up a shop, pay rent, keep to many stock with me etc. It is a different thing, Is it?

Krause Publications Book; 2009 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000, 36th Official Edition is really the world's best selling coin books. It came with a DVD, which the books in PDF format (537MB in size) is included. Over 2208 page of coin listing is included in this book. With over 497 country in the list (including absolute coin) and with over 1 million coin, you can find the picture of almost all the coin within the 20th century. I don't have any comment on the book yet but when I try to find euro coinage for Italy and Germany I cannot found them. I can found euro coinage for Spain, France, Belgium, Finland and Netherlands. Maybe that coinage is produced after 2000.

Krause Publications Book has been very helpful for a collector like me for so many years. It help me identify coin with different numeral and writing system then what I understand. Most of my world coin is not good in value though, I don't look for world coin value in this book but Malaysia coin value is far much better then Steven Tan Standard Catalogue for Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. I wish Steven tan can also produce a PDF format for his book in the future.

I still looking for Good book on complete coin coverage for 18th and 19th century. I wish i can buy book from Krause Publications again before I found another book. In the next post, I will share a bit about what I learn from this Krause Publication Book.

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Madagascar 2 movie; Madagascar Banknote.

Last night I go out and watch Madagascar 2. A nice movie if you want to have fun and laugh.I am also a big fan of Ben Stiller. This one is much funnier and hilarious then the first madagascar.I am having a good laugh until the end of this movie.

King Julian, the most funniest animal in the movie, make me remember about Madagascar banknote in my collection. The Democratic Republic of Madagascar located in the Indian Ocean, 250miles off the southeast coast of Africa. King Julian is a ring tailed lemur, an animal that can be seen in this banknote.

Madagascar Monetary system is using 100 centimes = 1 francs. the earliest coinage is in 1943 after France free from japanese.

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Worlds Smallest banknote; which one?

Do you know which country has the smallest banknote? I am posting this post a long time ago and doing this edited post to tell you this two is still the smallest banknote I can find. What I found out there is two banknote that been said as a world smallest banknote. One from a personal website www.tomchao.com. While another one is from a Guinness Worlds Records 2008 website. Most of my search via google bring me into a website with other smallest thing in this world. So here is the story of the smallest paper money in this world.

From Tomchao website, he put Morroco 50 centimes as a smallest banknote. Small denomination coins were in short supply during WWI. Morocco issued postage size 50 Centimes, 1 Franc and 2 Francs cardboard notes as temporary substitutes for coins. This 50 Centimes banknote only measuring at 41mm x 32mm. The banknote is in red color and issued in 1944.

Photo by: aes.iupui.edu.

Guinness Worlds Records 2008 put this Romania 10 bani issued by Romania ministry of finance issued in 1917 as the worlds smallest national currency. Romania 10 bani banknote printed area measured 27.5 mm x 38 mm. The banknote color is green and you can see the year issued with the word Romania. My blog reader, Alex from Romania ( http://colectiebancnote.blogspot.com/) inform me that this banknote is not really a banknote ,it's a paper coin. It's a divisionary note (100 bani=1 leu ),and the guy from the note is King Ferdinand (1914-1927). King Ferdinand succeeded his uncle on the latter's death (Carol I of Romania died without surviving issue) as King of Romania on 10 October 1914, reigning until his own death on 20 July 1927.

At first, I do think Romania 10 bani bill is the smallest banknote if looking for the size given. After thinking about it for a while, based on printed area, Morroco 50 centimes could be the world smallest banknote. I also wish one day I can put this banknote in my collection. Which do you think is the worlds smallest banknote? Do you have any other banknote that smaller then this two? Please, don't afraid to comment and share what you know with the rest of this world.

Post edited at 21/09/09

Related posts:

• Mongolia, world oldest country
• The Republic of Kyrgyzstan; forty tribes country
• Belarus or White Russia
• Republic of Croatia or Republica Hrvatska
• China Renminbi; fen banknote
  
  

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Suriname banknote; the lands of birds

Suriname (Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan), officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by the English who founded the first colony at Marshall's Creek, along the Suriname River, but the Dutch spelling is more widely accepted), is a country in northern South America. Suriname is one of four non-Spanish-speaking states in South America along with Brazil, Guyana, and French Guiana. Suriname does not border any Hispanophone nations on the South American continent.

Suriname was formerly known as Nederlands Guyana, Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana. Suriname is situated between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic coast. The southernmost border with French Guiana is disputed along the Marowijne river; while the once-disputed boundary with Guyana was arbitrated by the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea on September 20, 2007. The country is the smallest sovereign state in terms of area and population in South America and is the only Dutch-speaking nation in the Western Hemisphere that is not a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Suriname also has the highest percentage of Muslims in the Western Hemisphere.

Suriname is widely known for its birds. They have over 727 birds species recorded so far. Suriname share its birds with Brazil to the south and with venezuela to the north-west. Most of its banknote and stamps is using this birds in its design. The most Common birds is blue-gray tanager which has been used in their 1985 banknote.

Source : wikipedia

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Banknote; Saddam Hussien The dictator of Iraq

Everyone in this world must have known this faces for the famous gulf war in 1991; Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti. He was the President of Iraq from July 16, 1979 until April 9, 2003. The U.S forces lead by George W. Bush has captured Saddam Hussien in 2003 and he was executed on 30 December 2006.

This banknote here is a circulation from 1986 and 1994. This old Iraq Dinnar is no longer a legal currency in Iraq. while the new iraq dinnar currency is widely used for a scam by many seller telling people that by buying them, one day you will be a millioniare. the fact is that the new Iraq Dinnar cannot be freely traded in this world. The real millioniare is the people who behind this "get rich quick scheme".

The Iraq Dinnar Scam

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Bhutan Banknote; land of the Thunder Dragon

The Kingdom of Bhutan (IPA: /buˈtɑːn/) is a landlocked nation in South Asia. It is located amid the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and is bordered to the south, east and west by India and to the north by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Bhutan is separated from Nepal by the Indian state of Sikkim. The Bhutanese call their country Druk Yul (Dzongkha) which means "Land of the Thunder Dragon".

Bhutan used to be one of the most isolated nations in the world, but developments including direct international flights, internet, mobile phone networks, and cable television have increasingly opened the doors. As you can see, almost all their banknote has a thunder dragon and their temple and monestary.

Paro Dzong building on the reverse of 10 ngultrum is a government building that serves as civil administrative center and as a monastic home for a community of monks. It is Best known for the filming of the film "Little Buddha". It was originally built in 1644.

Source: wikipedia

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