Catalog
50 Chon
| Issuer | Central Bank of Korea (North Korea) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1959 |
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| Currency | First Won (1947-1959) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in blue on white paper, with the State Emblem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at left, surrounded by fine guilloche scrollwork and floral underprint patterns. The denomination 오십전 (Fifty Chon) appears in large Korean characters at center-right and again along the lower border, with the issuer name 조선중앙은행 (Central Bank of Korea) at center and the date 1959 at lower right. A red circular chop mark is visible at center, and the serial number is printed in red at upper left. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 조선민주주의인민공화국 조선중앙은행 오십전 1959 (Translation: Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Central Bank of North Korea, Fifty Chon, 1959) |
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| Comments |
North Korea's 1959 fractional currency reform produced a set of low-denomination chon notes intended for domestic retail use under the centrally planned economy. The 50 chon sits at the upper end of that fractional series — enough purchasing power for basic staple transactions at state-fixed prices, but issued in paper rather than the aluminum coinage that eventually displaced these notes from circulation.
Pick 12 is scarce in any grade; attrition was high on small-denomination paper in daily use.