Catalog
10 000 Won 50th Anniversary
| Issuer | Bank of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
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| Thickness | 2.7 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the enamelled Taeguk symbol — the yin-yang emblem of the Republic of Korea — rendered in red and blue enamel within a gilt beaded circle at the center of the coin. Surrounding the Taeguk is a decorative band of traditional Korean key-fret (meander) ornament. Below the central motif, a sprig of Hibiscus syriacus (Mugunghwa, the national flower of Korea) is depicted in relief. The upper field bears the Korean-script legend '대한민국 50년' (50 Years of the Republic of Korea) with the date range '1948-1998' below it. The lower field carries the Korean inscription '한국은행 · 만 원' (Bank of Korea · Ten Thousand Won), all set within a double-ring border with segmented decorative marks at the cardinal points. |
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| Reverse script | Latin/Korean |
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| Additional information |
Issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Korea's founding, this piece arrived during one of the country's most acute financial crises — the IMF bailout year, when South Korea received a $58 billion emergency loan package and the won collapsed against the dollar. The government simultaneously ran a national gold-collection campaign, asking citizens to donate jewelry and personal gold reserves to shore up foreign exchange. Striking a silver commemorative while the public surrendered wedding rings to the state was not without irony.