10 Won Aachen Cathedral

Aachen Cathedral holds the distinction of being one of the inaugural sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978. North Korea's numismatic export program — operated largely through agencies like the Korea Minhwa Trading Corporation to generate hard currency — produced small-format gold issues like this one almost exclusively for foreign collectors, primarily in Europe and East Asia. They circulated nowhere.

The choice of a Carolingian monument for a Pyongyang-issued coin is purely commercial, targeting German and European collector markets where Aachen retains strong regional significance.