North Korea's zodiac coinage of the early 2000s was produced almost exclusively for export, sold through foreign numismatic agencies to generate hard currency — a consistent strategy of the DPRK since the 1970s. Virtually none entered domestic circulation, where the won's official exchange rate bore no relationship to economic reality.
KM#405a distinguishes this brass striking from a parallel issue in the same series; collector demand drove multiple metal variants from the same dies.
North Korea's zodiac coinage of the early 2000s was produced almost exclusively for export, sold through foreign numismatic agencies to generate hard currency — a consistent strategy of the DPRK since the 1970s. Virtually none entered domestic circulation, where the won's official exchange rate bore no relationship to economic reality.
KM#405a distinguishes this brass striking from a parallel issue in the same series; collector demand drove multiple metal variants from the same dies.