Catalog
5 Won Capitalist Visitor
| Issuer | Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988-1995 |
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| In circulation to | 1992 |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of the Chŏllima winged equestrian statue set against a stylized atomic symbol, flanked by the National Coat of Arms of the DPRK. The overall design is rendered in intaglio with fine guilloche underprint across the note field. Issuer name and denomination inscriptions appear in Korean script. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 조선민주주의인민공화국 무역은행 외화와바꾼돈표 오원 1988 (Translation: Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Foreign currency exchange, Five Won) |
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| Comments |
North Korea operated parallel currency systems for foreign visitors throughout the late Cold War period, segregating convertible hard currency from domestic won circulation. The Foreign Trade Bank issued distinct note series color-coded by visitor category — socialist bloc tourists received one set, capitalist-country visitors another. This note belongs to the latter group, exchangeable only at designated Friendship Stores and hard-currency hotels, and strictly prohibited from leaving the country.
The system effectively extracted foreign exchange while preventing any meaningful price comparison between the two economies. Notes from the capitalist series are distinguishable by their red overprint — the socialist equivalent carries a blue one.