Catalog
5 Won
| Issuer | Central Bank of North Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1947 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | P#9 |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 北朝鮮中央銀行券 원오 (Translation: Banknote of the Central Bank of North Korea 5 Won) |
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| Reverse lettering | 오 원 선조주민 伍圓 1947 (Translation: Democratic Chosun 5 Won 1947) |
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| Comments |
North Korea's first independent currency series, issued in 1947, replaced the Soviet occupation-issue won that had circulated since 1945. The Soviet military had previously controlled monetary policy in the northern zone through the Red Army's own notes, so this issue marked a genuine transfer of financial authority to the nascent DPRK administration — though Soviet influence over the printing and design process remained considerable.
Printing was handled in the Soviet Union. Specimens with Russian-language cancellations surface occasionally, confirming the USSR's direct involvement in production.