Catalog
10 Chon
| Issuer | Bank of Joseon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1949 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in reddish-brown on a light ground, with a central vignette of the Rose of Sharon (hibiscus) set within a circular medallion flanked by the Chinese characters 錢 and 拾 on either side. A rectangular guilloche border frames the design, with decorative corner rosettes and a horizontal banner inscription across the top. To the left, a circular seal of the Bank of Joseon is printed in intaglio. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in brown on an uncoloured ground, dominated by a large central oval guilloche panel bearing the English denomination inscription, flanked by the numeral 10 at each side. The border is composed of interlocking floral and foliate ornamental scrollwork with Rose of Sharon blossoms in the upper and lower registers. The overall design is executed in a fine letterpress style typical of early Korean emergency currency. |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Joseon — Chōsen Ginkō under Japanese administration — continued issuing notes under its old institutional name even after liberation in August 1945, a transitional anomaly that lasted until the Bank of Korea replaced it in 1950. This particular 10 Chon was printed in April 1945, while Korea was still under Japanese colonial rule, yet carries a 1949 catalog date reflecting its official circulation period under the U.S. Military Government and early Republic of Korea administration.
Small-denomination chon notes of this era are frequently found with heavy use damage — the wartime paper stock was poor, and low values passed through many hands before the 1953 hwan reform rendered them obsolete.