Catalog
5 Chon
| Issuer | Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 105 x 54 mm |
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| Obverse description | Blue and grey note with an intricate guilloche underprint across the entire field. At left, the state emblem of the DPRK is rendered in an oval vignette; the large numeral '5' and Korean character '전' appear centrally in bold intaglio print. The issuing bank name is inscribed along the lower border in Korean script, with a serial number at lower left in red and the year '1988' at lower right. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in shades of blue and pink, dominated by a large central shield-shaped guilloche cartouche containing the numeral '5' and '전' in Korean. Repeating micro-numeral patterns reading '58' fill the background on either side of the central vignette. A smaller decorative numeral '5' with an ornamental flourish appears at the lower right corner. |
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| Comments |
The Trade Bank of Korea (북조선무역은행) issued this note exclusively for use by foreign visitors — it was never intended to circulate among North Korean citizens. The 1988 series came in two distinct versions: notes with a red serial number were for visitors from socialist countries, while blue serial numbers designated capitalist-country visitors, who faced different exchange restrictions and access privileges within the country's tightly managed foreign currency system.
These visitor currency schemes were a Cold War-era mechanism for extracting hard currency while maintaining strict internal economic controls. The 5 Chon is the lowest denomination of the series.