Bao Dai was the last emperor of South Vietnam who ruled from 1949 to 1955. Bảo Đại was born on October 22, 1913 and named Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy at Doan-Trang-Vien Palace, part of the Purple Forbidden City complex in Huế, the capital of Vietnam. It was later named Nguyễn Vĩnh Thụy. His father was Emperor Khải Định of Annam. His mother was the emperor's second wife, Tu Cung, who was renamed Doan Huy after her marriage. Over the years she held various titles that marked her progress as a favored consort until she finally became Empress Dowager in 1933. Vietnam was ruled from Huế by the Nguyễn dynasty since 1802. The French government, which took control of the region at the end of the 19th century, divided Vietnam into three territories: the protectorates of Annam and Tonkin and the colony of Cochinchina. The Nguyễn dynasty was given nominal control over Annam. During World War II, the Japanese removed the French colonial administration in March 1945, leaving Bao Dai as an essentially powerless ruler. When the Viet Minh came to power in August 1945, Ho Chi Minh and his associates saw that they could gain symbolic value by involving Bao Dai. The Viet Minh asked Bao Dai to resign and offered him an advisory role to "Civilian Prince Nguyen Vinh Thuy". In 1949, the French accepted the principle of an independent Vietnam, but retained defense and financial control. In this situation, Bao Dai returned to Vietnam in May 1949 and in July became interim prime minister of a loosely unified and nominally independent Vietnam. In October 1955, a national referendum demanded that the country become a republic. Bao Dai retired and returned to France to live there.1934. On March 20, at the age of 20, in the Imperial City of Huế, Bảo Đại married Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan (died Chabrignac, France, September 15, 1963), a commoner from a wealthy Vietnamese Catholic family. After the wedding, she received the title Empress Nam Phương. The couple had five children. Bảo Đại later had more children by other women. Bao Dai's life and reign had a significant impact on the history and politics of Vietnam, especially during the French colonial period and the early years of the Cold War. 1997. died on August 1, Paris, France.

Banknotes issued during the period of Emperor Báo Đại between 1949 and 1955 were modeled after France and used the Vietnamese dong. These banknotes were available in various denominations and depicted the emperor's portrait. During the time of Báo Đại, Vietnam also minted coins in various denominations. These coins usually represented basic values and referred to Vietnamese culture or history. During the reign of Báo Đại, the political situation of Vietnam changed dynamically. The 1954 Geneva Convention was an important turning point in the Vietnam War, and it also affected the coinage. Emperor Báo Đại abdicated in 1955 and the empire was abolished, which affected the monetary system and political situation of Vietnam.