Catalog
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| Issuer | Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 조선민주주의인민공화국 중앙은행 돈 표 주체111(2022)년 50000 오만원 |
| Reverse description | The reverse is executed in a predominantly pale green and grey guilloche underprint, with the large numeral 50000 positioned centrally in bold intaglio lettering surrounded by fine rosette and lathe-work patterns. The Central Bank circular seal vignette appears at left, and the serial number is printed in red at upper right and lower left. The issuer name 조선민주주의인민공화국 중앙은행 runs across the top margin, with the denomination legend 오만원 at lower right. |
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| Comments |
North Korean banknotes issued after 2009 — the year of the catastrophic currency redenomination that wiped out household savings overnight — exist in a peculiar documentary limbo. The redenomination allowed citizens to exchange old won for new at a 100:1 ratio, capped at amounts that effectively confiscated private savings above a modest threshold. Public unrest was severe enough that a senior party official was reportedly executed the following year in connection with the policy's fallout.
The 50,000 won face value is notable: high-denomination notes in DPRK circulation have historically functioned more as stores of value or elite transaction instruments than everyday currency, given that average monthly wages remain a fraction of this sum. Pick 69 is thinly documented in Western catalogs — export and collector acquisition channels are narrow, and authentication remains a genuine concern given the state's history of producing high-quality foreign currency counterfeits.