10 Hwan

Korea's hwan currency existed for barely a decade. Introduced in 1953 to replace the won at a rate of one hwan to one hundred won, it was itself replaced in 1962 when the military government of Park Chung-hee redenominated back to the won — again at 10 to 1 — largely to curb hoarding and disrupt the informal economy that had flourished during the Korean War's aftermath.

This 10 hwan piece was among the first modern machine-struck coins issued by the newly established Bank of Korea, which had only received its central banking charter in 1950, weeks before the war broke out.