Catalog
5 Chon Socialist visitor
| Issuer | North Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1974 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Chon (0.05 KPW) |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the National Coat of Arms of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, depicting a hydroelectric dam and power pylon beneath a radiant five-pointed star, all within a wreath of rice ears tied with a ribbon bearing a small Hangul inscription. The legend '조선민주주의인민공화국' (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) runs along the upper periphery in Hangul script, and the date '1974' is inscribed in the exergue below the arms. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 조선민주주의인민공화국 1974 (Translation: Democratic People's Republic of Korea) |
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| Additional information |
North Korea produced distinct coin sets in the early 1970s for foreign visitors, separated deliberately from domestic circulation coinage. The "socialist visitor" designation — as opposed to the parallel "capitalist visitor" issues — determined which currency foreigners from allied Soviet-bloc nations received when exchanging money upon entry. The two streams were not interchangeable domestically, functioning as a crude but effective mechanism for tracking and controlling foreign exchange within the country.
KM#10 belongs to that segregated tourist currency infrastructure, which remained in use until the won reform of the late 1970s rendered the distinctions increasingly unworkable.