Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Central vignette presents a male industrial worker holding a cogwheel and a political volume alongside a female peasant holding a sheaf of wheat, together embodying the union of industry and agriculture. A panoramic cityscape with factory buildings forms the background. Denomination numerals and issuing authority inscriptions frame the composition. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 조선민주주의인민공화국 중앙은행 5 오원 (Translation: Democratic People's Republic of Korea, The Central Bank, Five Won) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
North Korea's 1978 series was designed with a dual-currency system already in operation — separate notes existed for domestic use and for foreign visitors holding convertible currency. This 5 Won falls into the domestic category, intended for ordinary citizens whose access to foreign-exchange shops was legally prohibited. The distinction was enforced not just by policy but by the physical notes themselves, which circulated in parallel but were not interchangeable at the state level.
Pick lists this under 19A, acknowledging a variant distinction within the issue that collectors still debate.