Issued as part of North Korea's ongoing series of collector-targeted aluminum pieces, this coin commemorates Kaesong ginseng — a cultivar grown near the city of Kaesong, historically regarded as among the finest in the world and traded as a luxury commodity across East Asia for centuries. Kaesong sits just north of the demilitarized zone, and its ginseng industry survived partition largely intact under state control.
These aluminum issues were produced almost exclusively for hard-currency export sales, not domestic circulation — the DPRK has used such numismatic programs since the 1970s as a modest but consistent source of foreign exchange.
Issued as part of North Korea's ongoing series of collector-targeted aluminum pieces, this coin commemorates Kaesong ginseng — a cultivar grown near the city of Kaesong, historically regarded as among the finest in the world and traded as a luxury commodity across East Asia for centuries. Kaesong sits just north of the demilitarized zone, and its ginseng industry survived partition largely intact under state control.
These aluminum issues were produced almost exclusively for hard-currency export sales, not domestic circulation — the DPRK has used such numismatic programs since the 1970s as a modest but consistent source of foreign exchange.