1 won 1978
About This Note
This is an uncirculated example of the North Korean 1 Won note from 1978 (Pick P-18b), displaying the characteristic socialist realist imagery and vibrant color palette typical of DPRK currency from this era. The note features pristine condition with no signs of circulation, sharp printing detail, and the iconic propagandistic composition of workers, children, and state symbols that define North Korean numismatic design. The elaborate ornamental borders and fine-line engraving demonstrate the technical quality of North Korean banknote production during this period.
Common. The 1 Won denomination from 1978 represents standard circulation currency issued in substantial quantities by the North Korean Central Bank. No evidence of limited print runs, recall status, or short-lived issuing conditions exists for this Pick number. While North Korean currency is less frequently encountered in Western collections compared to other nations, this particular note and denomination combination remains common within the numismatic market for DPRK issues.
Issued during the height of North Korea's Juche ideology period under Kim Il-sung, this 1978 note reflects the state's emphasis on collective labor, social harmony, and national self-reliance through its depiction of workers (male figures with tools), women, and children united in purpose. The cityscape background and rose symbolism on the reverse represent the idealized vision of socialist development and prosperity that North Korea promoted during the 1970s. The inscriptions, including 'Help one another' (서로를 돕어라), encapsulate the Juche principle of mutual aid and state cohesion fundamental to DPRK governance.
The obverse depicts a patriotic scene of collective Korean socialism: a male worker holding a red flag stands centrally, surrounded by children and women, with a modern cityscape rendered in pink tones in the background. The circular emblem on the left contains the national symbol with a star, dated 1978. The reverse features a serene portrait of a female figure (representing Korean womanhood/motherhood) in purple tones, flanked by roses symbolizing beauty and peace, with male workers engaged in labor visible on either side. The background includes architectural structures representing socialist development. Both sides feature ornate Art Deco-inspired borders with floral and geometric patterns in green, pink, gray, and white. The composition exemplifies North Korean banknote iconography emphasizing unity, labor, and state ideology.
Front side: '조선민주주의인민공화국' (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), '중앙은행' (Central Bank), '원' (Won), '1978' (year of issue), 'ㅁ 056997' (serial number), '서로를 돕어라' (Help one another). Back side: '조선민주주의인민공화국중앙은행' (Democratic People's Republic of Korea Central Bank), '원' (Won - appears twice on reverse).
Intaglio (recess) printing with multiple color plates, evidenced by the elaborate fine-line engraving visible throughout the design, sharp ornamental borders, and precise color registration. The watermark areas visible in the circular emblems indicate security printing typical of central bank notes. This technique was standard for North Korean Central Bank currency production during the 1970s-1980s. The note was produced by the North Korean state printing authority under Central Bank specification.
Pick P-18b designation indicates this is a specific variety within the 1 Won 1978 issue. The observed serial number prefix 'ㅁ' (Korean consonant m) may indicate a production batch or regional printing variant. The pristine UNC condition and serial number ㅁ 056997 represent the standard printing variety; variations may exist in serial number prefixes or watermark details across different production runs of this denomination.
