[ammolab]

The Type 53 is a Chinese M44. I brought one back too.

The DONG is North Vietnamese currency and always has been.

THe Piaster is the South Vietnamese currency during the American involvement in Viet Nam War. After fall
of SVN, the DONG became the national currency.

Your weapons is what it is and a bring back well documented. The DONG... recommend you do your
home work. The fact you served speaks well of you.

New to me...I was in S Vietnam 1966/68 and I spent plenty of money with "DONG" on it. Sure the money was called "piaster" (Piastre, a French word, not Vietnamese) even just "pee" (P) for short but I know every coin said DONG.

Dong/Piaster same-same Dollar/Buck/Greenback to me. Three coins I brought back in 1976..SOUTH Vietnamese coins!

 

[ammolab]

Dong was the SVN coins and Piaster was their paper money.
I sent home a variety of both.
Sarge

"Dong" is on VN paper money as well. "Piaster" or "P" is a term left over from the 50s and used interchangeable with the Dong. Same as we use dollar/buck/etc.

Really the Dong was closer to penny/cent than a buck when I was there....and it got much cheaper down the road.