Catalog
500 Won Atlanta Olympics
| Issuer | Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 31.1035 g |
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| Reverse description | The central field features a dynamic equestrian show-jumping scene in high relief, depicting a rider mounted on a horse clearing a decorative hurdle flanked by stylized foliage. The curved legend 'OLYMPIC GAMES ATLANTA 1996' arches across the upper periphery in Latin letters. The denomination '500 WON' is inscribed in bold lettering along the lower field beneath the jumping scene. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
North Korea's participation in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics was itself a minor diplomatic event — the DPRK sent a small delegation after years of boycotts, having skipped both the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Games. The Seoul boycott carried particular weight, given that South Korea was hosting. Atlanta marked a cautious re-engagement with international sport.
Coins of this type were produced almost exclusively for the hard-currency export market, not domestic circulation. The DPRK ran an active foreign numismatic program through the 1990s as a foreign exchange mechanism, with pieces sold through intermediaries in Europe and Asia.