Coins of North Korea

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 12:15:51 AM

This thread showcases all coins issued by North Korea, with images from Numista and abridged text from Wikipedia.

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국) is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, and borders the People's Republic of China and Russia to the north of the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen Rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. North Korea, like its southern counterpart, claims to be the legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. Pyongyang is its capital and largest city.

Kim Il-sung, its founder and first leader of North Korea, before the establishment of the state, was the leader of a group of resistance fighters that fought against Imperial Japan. North Korea's perspective says that Kim Il-sung almost defeated the Imperial Japanese forces during the liberation of Korea under Imperial Japanese rule. After the end of World War II and the end of Imperial Japan's control over the Korean Peninsula, the Soviets installed him as leader of the northern half of Korea, while the United States installed Syngman Rhee as leader of the southern half of Korea. South Korea (Republic of Korea) was founded on August 15, 1948 and North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) was founded on September 9, 1948. The two states then began their claims of being the rightful government of the Korean Peninsula. After a few years of tensions, the Korean War broke out in 1950, with North Korea sending troops to take South Korea through force and to integrate the southern half of the country under communist rule. The arrival of United Nations forces led by the United States in the decisive landing in Incheon pushed the North Koreans back. The People's Republic of China then joined in the war on the side of North Korea. The Korean War ended in a stalemate, which resulted in the signing of the armistice in 1953 and effectively divided the Korean Peninsula in two, with the two states technically in a state of war. After the end of the Korean War, Kim Il-sung began developing North Korea under its ideology of Juche (self-reliance), tasking its people to develop North Korea through their sacrifices of building a homeland under Juche. Kim Il-sung oversaw North Korea's development throughout the following decades of his rule, even after South Korea underwent a tremendous recovery of their nation after the Korean War to become one of the most richest countries in the world. North Korea then began to suffer from the breakdown of every aspect of functioning a communist state, including a declining economy. He remained as leader of North Korea until his death in 1994, when he was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il. Kim Il-sung was then declared as "Eternal President" of North Korea, ruling in spirit from his resting place at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang. Kim Jong-il then oversaw North Korea under the leadership of the Korean People's Army under Songun, which declares the military in charge in all affairs of the state. He also oversaw the development of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, causing widespread condemnation from the international community over its actions and in turn sanctions being placed against North Korea. He continued to lead the country until his death in 2011 and was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-un. Unlike his late father, Kim Jong-un modeled his rule of North Korea after his grandfather Kim Il-sung. He oversaw his rule throughout the 2010s and through the beginning of the 2020s, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea and infamously abandoned any and all efforts of reuniting Korea in 2024, declaring South Korea as its enemy through its constitution. North Korea's leadership is led entirely under the Kim dynasty and is tied directly to the "Baedku bloodline", in reference to Mount Baedku, which according to North Korean propaganda, is connected entirely to the Kims, notably tied to the birth of Kim Jong-il on Mount Baedku during Kim Il-sung's resistance against the Imperial Japanese forces controlling the Korean Peninsula. North Korea's culture consists of reverence and worship to the Kim dynasty, its aims of becoming a nuclear armed state and its hatred toward the West, especially the United States and South Korea.

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 12:18:38 AM

(Flag of North Korea)

(Emblem of North Korea)

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 12:37:47 AM

The first coins for North Korea were issued in 1959 in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 chon. These coins were often restruck with the original dates, although 1 and 5 chon coins were issued in 1970 and 1974.

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 12:42:32 AM

(KM#1, Numista number N#5530) (Images courtesy of Numista)

The first coin issued for circulation in North Korea in 1959 was the 1 chon coin. The obverse side displayed the emblem of North Korea and the reverse side displayed the coin's denomination.

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 12:47:20 AM

(KM#2, Numista number N#6101) (Images courtesy of Numista)

The second coin issued for circulation in North Korea in 1959 was the 5 chon coin. The obverse side featured the emblem of North Korea and the reverse side featured the coin's denomination.

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 01:06:12 AM

(KM#3, Numista number N#5876) (Images courtesy of Numista)

The third coin issued for circulation in North Korea in 1959 was the 10 chon coin. The obverse side presented the emblem of North Korea and the reverse side presented the coin's denomination.

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 01:27:20 AM

In 1978, a new denomination was issued for circulation in North Korea. It was the 50 chon coin, and was issued to allow greater flexibilty for vendors by eliminating the 50 chon banknote and large amounts of small change carried after every transaction.

(KM#4, Numista number N#5877) (Images courtesy of Numista)

Issued in 1978, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of North Korea, the 50 chon coin featured the emblem of North Korea and the coin's denomination on the obverse and the Chollima statue on the reverse.

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 01:40:14 AM

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Chollima Statue is a monument on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. The monument symbolizes the "Chollima speed" of the Chollima Movement. The monument was constructed as a gift to North Korean dictator Kim Il-sung and was built by the the Merited Sculpture Production Company of the Mansudae Art Studio, and was unveiled on April 15, 1961, the 49th birthday of Kim Il-sung. The impetus to build the monument was Kim Il-sung's speech "Let Us Further Develop Popular Art" given to rural amateur artist groups on March 7, 1961. The Chollima Statue was awarded the People's Prize. The two figures riding the Chollima, the worker and the peasant, each present the document of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (the worker) and a sheaf of rice (the peasant).

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 01:49:28 AM

(KM#18, Numista number N#5878) (Images courtesy of Numista)

Issued in 1987 in North Korea was the 1 won coin. The obverse side featured the emblem of North Korea and the coin's denomination and the reverse side featured the Grand People's Study House, the showcase national library in Pyongyang, the capital city. The library contains the works of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il and foreign publications which are only available with special permission.

NewHikaru089 · March 19, 2024, 01:57:24 AM

Following other socialist states like the People's Republic of China and Cuba, North Korea developed a system of marking two groups of coins for foreign visitors visiting the country. They were the "Pakkundon" series, and was issued in 1983. Coins with "no stars" were for general circulation in North Korea, coins with "one star" were issued for foreign visitors from socialist nations bringing in non-convertible socialist currencies and coins with "two stars" were issued for foreign visitors from capitalist nations bringing in convertible foreign currencies like the United States dollar and Japanese yen.