The Vietnamese Dong

The Vietnamese dong (CODE: VND) has been the currency of Vietnam since May 3, 1978. Issued by the State Bank of Vietnam, it is represented by the symbol "₫". Formerly, it was subdivided into 10 hào, which was further subdivided into 10 xu, neither of which is now used.  The word dong is from the term dongtien ("money"), a cognate of the Chinese tongqian. The term refers to Chinese bronze coins used as currency during the dynastic periods of China and Vietnam. The term hào is a cognate of the Chinese háo meaning a tenth of a currency unit.