Vietnam's new coins being gobbled up
HANOI (Reuters) - New coins introduced by Vietnam's Central Bank are being gobbled up -- not by collectors, but rather by children who swallow them after mistaking them for sweets.
Since three coins were made available in mid-December after a two-decade absence, doctors have treated at least 17 children for swallowing them.
Over the recent Lunar New Year holidays, six children aged between two and 10 were treated in the central province of Quang Nam after swallowing coins, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported on Thursday.
Money is a traditional good luck gift for children during the festival.
The mishaps are an unforeseen headache for Vietnam's central bank, which had hoped the coins would promote the use of vending machines and other conveniences.
The launch of Vietnam's new money has faced other glitches.
Polymer-based, counterfeit proof banknotes that were also introduced last month were hit by rumours that the bills would be withdrawn because they had no year of issue printed on them.
Then jewellery shops complained that their counting machines couldn't read the new notes.
The central bank has been forced to issue stern admonitions.
"Any individual who refuses to circulate the bank notes issued by the State Bank of Vietnam will be named as a lawbreaker and will face tough punishments," deputy governor Nguyen Thi Kim Phung said last month.
In addition to a new 500,000 dong note, Vietnam also circulated a new design of its 50,000-dong note.
Reuters - January 30, 2004.
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