Catalog
100 Hwan
| Issuer | Bank of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 券行銀國韓 行銀國韓 원백 圜百 (Translation: Korean Bank Note, Bank of Korea, One Hundred Won, One Hundred Hwan) |
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| Reverse lettering | The BANK of KOREA 百圓 백원 ONE HUNDRED WON (Translation: The Bank of Korea, One Hundred Hwan, One Hundred Won, One Hundred Won) |
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| Comments |
The 100 Hwan was introduced following the 1953 currency reform that replaced the old Won at a rate of one Hwan to 100 Won — a direct response to the hyperinflation generated by three years of war on the peninsula. South Korea lacked the domestic printing infrastructure to produce secure currency at scale, which is why the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington handled production for several denominations in the early Hwan series.
The Hwan itself proved short-lived. A second currency reform in 1962 retired it entirely, reintroducing the Won at 10 Hwan to 1 Won.