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100 Hwan
| Issuer | Bank of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1957 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 백 韓國銀行券 百圜 韓國銀行 100 HWAN 4290 (Translation: One Hundred, Korean banknote, One Hundred Hwan, The Bank of Korea) |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in green on a pale guilloche underprint and displays the denomination legend "ONE HUNDRED HWAN" in a central framed cartouche with ornate scrollwork surround. Stylised lotus flower vignettes flank the cartouche on either side, while the issuer name "THE BANK OF KOREA" appears in an arched panel at the top and the numeric denomination "100 HWAN" is inscribed in a scroll at the foot. |
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| Comments |
The 100 Hwan was introduced as South Korea struggled to stabilize an economy shattered by the Korean War. The hwan itself had replaced the won in 1953 at a rate of 100:1 — a blunt acknowledgment of wartime inflation that had rendered the old currency nearly worthless. By 1957 the hwan was already under pressure again, and this denomination was among the higher-value notes in everyday circulation during a period of acute scarcity.
Domestic production by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation reflected a deliberate push toward self-sufficient note manufacture rather than continued reliance on foreign printers. The hwan series would survive only until 1962, when a military government redenominated back to the won at 10:1.