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5000 Won Turtle Ship
| Issuer | Bank of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970 |
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| Engraver(s) | Jo Byung-soo |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Korean/Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a dramatic depiction of the Geobukseon (Turtle Ship), the celebrated 16th-century ironclad warship of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. The prow of the vessel, rendered in bold relief with an imposing dragon-head figurehead facing right, dominates the right foreground, while a second Turtle Ship under full sail is shown navigating open seas in the middle ground to the left. The hull is rendered with characteristic spiked plating and oar ports along the lower strake. The encircling legend REPUBLIC OF KOREA arcs along the upper border, with TURTLE SHIP inscribed along the lower border, both separated by small ornamental dashes, all set against a deeply recessed, mirror-polished field. |
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Issued to mark the 25th anniversary of Korean independence, this was South Korea's first gold coin struck for collectors. The turtle ship — the geobukseon — was deployed by Admiral Yi Sun-sin during the Imjin War of 1592–98, when Japanese forces under Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded the peninsula. Yi's fleet used these ironclad vessels to devastating effect, breaking Japanese naval supply lines and preventing what might otherwise have been a swift conquest.
Mintage was limited to 5,000 pieces, struck at the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation in its early years of operation.