Catalog
1 Won Socialist Visitor
| Issuer | Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988 |
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| Value | 1 Won (1 KPW) |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of the International Friendship Exhibition museum complex set against Mt. Myohyang, with the National Coat of Arms of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea positioned at upper left. The design is rendered in a red and pink colour scheme over a lightly toned underprint, with guilloche lathe-work borders framing the central imagery. Inscriptions in Korean Hangul identify the issuing authority and note purpose. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 조선민주주의인민공화국 무역은행 1 일 원 (Translation: Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, One Won) |
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| Comments |
North Korea maintained parallel currency systems for decades, issuing separate notes for foreign visitors — and within that system, further subdivisions by origin. The so-called "Socialist Visitor" series was specifically designed for tourists and guests arriving from allied socialist countries, as opposed to capitalist-bloc visitors who received notes from a different series printed with a different color overprint. The distinction mattered: convertibility and purchasing access differed depending on which set of notes a visitor carried.
The 1988 date aligns with a period of peak juche-era isolation, when hard currency controls were administered with particular rigidity through the Chosun Trade Bank's retail exchange network.