Puzzle Description:

Symbol for the Cambodian Riel. You can exchange 4,000 Cambriels for One US Dollar.

#1: Teresa K (fasstar) on Apr 15, 2009 [SPOILER]

Here is what it is supposed to look like:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cambriel.svg

Nice rendering. How do the different countries make these symbols, I wonder?

Good question. In my searches I have found that some currency has a graphic symbol, but most do not. Each different currency has an ISO 4217 code that is regulated by the International Organization for Standardization. Currency symbols are regulated by the local governments. Many countries' currency share the same symbol, yet each has their individual ISO code.

The code for the Rupee in India is INR. The Indian government is conducting a contest to design a new symbol. It is currently depicted as Rs.

So, what can you actually buy with a Cambriel? Is that one of the currencies that got super-inflated, or is it just a /really/ poor country, or what? Anyways, nice puzzle.

I think the answer is "both."

The Cambriel is not a single coin, but a unit of measure. The Cambodian coins were minted from 1979 to 1994 in denominations of 50, 100, 200, and 500 riel. However, these are no longer commonly found in circulation. Banknotes were issued from denominations of 50 to 50,000 Cambriels.

Their rate of inflation was 26% in 1994, and is around 20% now. Cambodia is a very poor country, with 35% living below the poverty level.

this symbol looks strange to me, but i guess the us dollar looks strange to someone else somewhere on this planet. i get lost when the us dollar converts to a thousand or more of another country's unit. great series.

Thanks, Linda. I have been enjoying your comments. :-)

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