Catalog
10 Won Socialist Visitor
| Issuer | Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988 |
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| Size | 130 × 65 mm |
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| Obverse description | The obverse carries a central vignette of the International Friendship Exhibition museum complex set against the slopes of Mt. Myohyang, with the National Coat of Arms of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea positioned to one side. Guilloche underprint patterns frame the central design, with the denomination numeral and Korean script inscriptions arranged across the face. The date 1988 and issuing authority legend appear within the layout in a style typical of North Korean exchange certificates of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 조선민주주의인민공화국 무역은행 10 십원 (Translation: Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ten Won) |
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| Comments |
North Korea maintained parallel currency systems for much of the late Cold War period, with separate notes issued specifically for foreign visitors from socialist countries — distinct from those given to capitalist-bloc tourists. This 10 Won note belongs to that socialist visitor series, introduced in 1988 as the regime sought to extract hard currency and goods from fraternal allies while keeping foreign spending strictly channeled through state-controlled shops.
The Foreign Trade Bank controlled the entire mechanism. Visitors exchanged their currencies at fixed official rates, received these segregated notes, and could spend them only at designated Hwanggumsan stores — off-limits to ordinary North Koreans.