North Korea's commemorative aluminum issues of the mid-2000s were produced almost exclusively for the foreign collector market through state trading companies, with genuine domestic circulation being essentially nonexistent. Hard currency from coin sales fed directly into government coffers during a period when the DPRK was navigating severe international sanctions following its 2006 nuclear test.
At 7.2 g in aluminum, this piece is unusually heavy for the metal — a function of the large flan rather than any dense alloy.
North Korea's commemorative aluminum issues of the mid-2000s were produced almost exclusively for the foreign collector market through state trading companies, with genuine domestic circulation being essentially nonexistent. Hard currency from coin sales fed directly into government coffers during a period when the DPRK was navigating severe international sanctions following its 2006 nuclear test.
At 7.2 g in aluminum, this piece is unusually heavy for the metal — a function of the large flan rather than any dense alloy.