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500 Won Sokkuram Bodhisattva
| Issuer | Bank of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 28 g |
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| Obverse description | The national arms of South Korea at centre, depicting the taeguk symbol within a stylised hibiscus flower (mugunghwa), flanked by symmetrical floral sprays with rose buds and foliage extending to either side. The denomination '500 원 WON' appears in the lower field, with the issuer legend '한국은행' (Bank of Korea) in large Hangul characters along the lower rim. The dual-calendar date '4303 - 1970' is inscribed along the upper rim, and the country name '대한민국' (Republic of Korea) appears on a ribbon below the arms. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Issued as part of South Korea's first commemorative coin program, this piece was authorized amid a broader government push to assert cultural identity through official channels — the Sokkuram grotto, a UNESCO-recognized eighth-century Buddhist shrine near Gyeongju, had been undergoing a controversial Japanese-led restoration since the colonial period, and the newly independent Korean state was actively reclaiming its symbolic ownership of the site. Mintage was low and distribution largely limited to presentation sets, which explains the frequency of surviving specimens in original packaging.