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500 Won
| Issuer | Bank of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1962-1967 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 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 two large numeral 500 panels set within intricate dark blue guilloche medallions, one at each side of the note. At centre, a vignette shows a flaming torch encircled by a laurel wreath, symbolising the eternal flame, rendered in fine engraved detail. The issuer name arches across the top in bold serif letterpress, and the denomination in alphanumeric form runs along the bottom margin within a plain rectangular frame. |
| Reverse lettering | THE BANK OF KOREA 500 WON |
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| Comments |
South Korea's early post-war note issues were contracted to De La Rue in London largely because domestic printing infrastructure capable of handling intaglio security work simply did not exist yet. This 500 Won belongs to a series issued during a particularly volatile period — the 1962 currency reform, pushed through by the military government of Park Chung-hee, redenominated the hwan at a 10:1 ratio and reintroduced the won as the national unit. The political motive was partly economic stabilization, partly an assertion of the new regime's authority over monetary affairs.
High-denomination notes from this short series are noticeably scarcer in circulated grades, reflecting both the note's purchasing power at the time and the rapid economic changes that led to new series by the late 1960s.