20 Won Lotus Flower

North Korea has issued commemorative coinage sporadically since the 1970s, almost entirely for export through currency dealers rather than domestic circulation — hard currency earned abroad matters far more to Pyongyang than numismatic culture at home. Pieces like this one were never intended to pass through the hands of ordinary North Korean citizens, who remain largely outside any coin-collecting economy.

By 2014, the DPRK's commemorative program had expanded significantly under Kim Jong-un, with new issues appearing through intermediaries in China and Europe.