Catalog
500 Won Football World Cup
| Issuer | Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A dynamic full-figure depiction of a football player in mid-stride, about to strike a football resting on the ground, occupies the right portion of the field. Behind the figure, the Arc de Triomphe is rendered in relief as a backdrop, referencing the host city of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The denomination '500 WON' appears in the upper left field, the year of issue '1995' to the upper right, and '1998 FRANCE' is inscribed in the lower central field. The curved legend 'WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF FOOTBALL' runs along the lower periphery. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
North Korea issued a substantial run of commemorative silver pieces throughout the 1990s aimed squarely at the international collector market — hard currency the regime badly needed following the collapse of Soviet aid after 1991. These coins were never intended to circulate domestically and were produced largely for export through foreign numismatic distributors, particularly in Europe and Japan.
The 1994 World Cup in the United States is the likely subject here, as the 1995 date reflects typical post-event commemorative timing. North Korea's national team has qualified for the World Cup only twice — 1966 and 2010 — making the subject diplomatically curious given the domestic propaganda value of football in the DPRK.