Catalog
50 Won
| Issuer | Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Won |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is dominated by a finely engraved landscape vignette of a tranquil lake scene with a large conifer in the foreground, rocky shoreline, and snow-capped mountains receding into the distance, rendered in olive-green intaglio. Decorative floral and foliate borders frame the left and right edges, with the denomination spelled out in Korean at lower left and lower right. The issuing bank name in Korean is inscribed along the lower centre margin. |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
The 1978 North Korean won series was produced under the three-currency system the DPRK operated for decades — separate notes circulated for ordinary citizens, for foreign visitors with convertible currency, and for "friendly nation" foreigners from socialist bloc countries. This note, identifiable by the red seal, belonged to the domestic citizen category, meaning it was not exchangeable for foreign currency and could not be used in the hard-currency shops that were otherwise inaccessible to most North Koreans.
Pick 8C is the third color variant within the series, distinguished by seal color rather than any change to the plate design itself — a cataloging distinction that still causes confusion among collectors unfamiliar with the parallel circulation structure.