100 Won Koala

North Korea issued a series of silver wildlife pieces through the 1990s nominally denominated in Won, though none were intended for domestic circulation — hard currency was functionally banned for ordinary citizens under the regime's strict foreign exchange controls. These coins were produced exclusively for sale to foreign collectors, a quiet revenue stream that the DPRK operated through intermediary dealers in Austria and elsewhere throughout the decade.

The koala subject had no geographic or cultural connection to the issuing state — it was chosen purely for collector appeal in Western and Asian markets.