The National Monument at the Southernmost Point of the Country
Huỳnh Hoài Hãn, Vietnam Numismatics #1 (10-2017), p.33-35
Not long after the success of the August Revolution, on September 23, 1945, the entire Southern Region rose up again in resistance against the French. Facing the urgent need to issue Vietnamese banknotes to actively manage the economy, boost production, and support a long-term resistance, on November 1, 1947, President Hồ Chí Minh signed Decree No. 102/SL authorizing the establishment of the Special Printing Board of the Southern Region at the Đồng Tháp Mười resistance zone (Mộc Hóa District, Đồng Tháp Province), headed by Mr. Ngô Tấn Nhơn, the Government's special representative. To deceive the enemy, the Southern Special Printing Board operated under the codename "Planting and Pruning Department No. 10".
From 1949, to ensure secrecy, the Southern Special Printing Board was ordered to move to the U Minh resistance zone. Printing money at the resistance zone at that time was extremely difficult, but the staff and workers of the Southern Special Printing Board worked selflessly and successfully completed their assigned mission. Here, banknotes of 1 đồng, 5 đồng, and 20 đồng were printed in large quantities using a pedal-operated typographic press on writing paper. In 1953, when the Southern Special Printing Board was operating stably in Tân Hưng Tây, Cái Nước District, a forest fire broke out. Hundreds of staff and workers, along with tons of equipment, were relocated to Hàm Rồng, Năm Căn District, Cà Mau Province.
To meet the demand for currency to replace the Indochinese piastre, the Southern Special Printing Board was authorized to print 20, 50, and 100 đồng banknotes using modern equipment - a hand-turned offset printing machine - on handmade jute paper. In early 1954, the Administrative Resistance Committee of Southern Vietnam planned to print 200 and 500 đồng banknotes. When the 200 đồng notes had been printed and the 500 đồng notes were still in the design stage, the revolution succeeded. The Geneva Agreement was signed on July 20, 1954, marking the completion of the historic mission of the Southern Special Printing Board in November 1954. The total amount of Uncle Hồ's banknotes printed in the South and circulating up to that point was approximately 3.6 billion đồng.
During six years of operation in Cà Mau, the Southern Special Printing Board moved frequently, every 3 to 6 months, from Cái Tàu (U Minh) and Tân Đức (Đầm Dơi) to areas of U Minh Hạ (Trần Văn Thời) and U Minh Thượng (Thới Bình).
The Uncle Hồ's banknotes, printed in large quantities, circulated widely throughout the South and played a significant role in the development of the young Democratic Republic of Vietnam at that time. At the same time, they established financial independence during the challenging nine-year resistance, as each banknote contained profound political, economic, and financial significance, based on the people as the foundation to replace the "gold standard".
To commemorate the milestones of the resistance and the early days of building the revolutionary government of Vietnam, and to educate the younger generation about revolutionary traditions, in 2001 the Southern Special Printing Board began the construction of the Memorial Stele of the Southern Special Printing Board in Hàm Rồng Commune, Năm Căn District. The project, worth about 45 million đồng, was funded through contributions raised by former members of the Printing Board. However, this modest construction did not adequately reflect the importance, mission, and contributions of those who worked in currency printing during that period. In early 2009, the Ministry of Finance approved a plan to upgrade and renovate the Memorial Stele of the Southern Special Printing Board. In 2010, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a decision recognizing the Memorial Stele of the Southern Special Printing Board in Hàm Rồng Commune, Năm Căn District, Cà Mau Province, as a National Historical Site.
With the authorization of the Ministry of Finance and the investment approval of the People's Committee of Cà Mau Province, on June 11, 2012, the project to upgrade and renovate the memorial was approved, with the Cà Mau Department of Finance as the investor. The project encompasses an architectural complex featuring a memorial monument, a martyrs' memorial house, a garden, a courtyard, fences, a lighting system, embankments, sidewalks, a kindergarten, and a connecting road from Hàng Dương Road to the Đầm Cùng River. The project began construction on July 27, 2012, with a total investment of over 20 billion đồng, funded by support from the Ministry of Finance.
After more than two years of construction, on October 6, 2014, the upgraded and renovated Memorial for the Southern Special Printing Board was inaugurated in the presence of former members of the Printing Board, leaders of the Ministry of Finance and Cà Mau Province, and a large number of local residents.
The Memorial of the Southern Special Printing Board, created by artists Lê Công Uẩn and Lê Lang Biên, features a central stele symbolizing the torch of revolution, depicted as a sheet of banknote paper rolled into multiple layers. The face of the banknote is displayed prominently, with a portrait of Uncle Hồ centered within a star, accompanied by decorative patterns and historical text. Behind the main stele is a scroll-shaped panel with monumental reliefs, depicting the challenging and honorable activities of the Southern Special Printing Board in organizing, printing, and distributing paper currency, which served as a sharp weapon in the economic, financial, and monetary struggle against the enemy during the resistance war against the French colonialists. The entire stele and reliefs are carved from gray granite. The central stele, shaped like a torch, is 7 meters high, while the scroll-shaped relief is 2.5 meters high and 8 meters long.
This is a project of special significance for the finance sector, aimed at honoring and recognizing the great contributions of previous generations, thereby preserving and passing on its proud traditions.
For six years of operation, the officers and workers of the Southern Special Printing Board dedicated themselves fully and made a worthy contribution to the national cause during the difficult early years of the resistance. Ultimately, eight officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives during the Board's period of operation. It can be said that the achievements of the Southern Special Printing Board are an epic of heroism and a milestone in history, forever unforgettable for the country as a whole and for the people of Southern Vietnam in particular.
