1 won 1947
About This Note
A striking 1 Won note from North Korea's 1947 issue, featuring allegorical male figures representing labor and production on the obverse within an ornate circular frame with red and green decorative elements. The reverse displays a snow-capped mountain landscape in brown and tan tones, characteristic of early North Korean currency design. In UNC condition, this note exhibits sharp printing, excellent color saturation, and no signs of wear, making it an attractive example of immediate post-liberation Korean currency.
Common. The 1947 North Korean 1 Won (P-8a) represents one of the earliest and foundational issues of the DPRK's currency system. While the note has historical significance, print runs for this denomination were substantial given its role as a primary circulating denomination. No evidence of rarity exists based on documented print runs or market scarcity. UNC examples, though nicer than heavily circulated specimens, do not command premium prices typical of genuinely scarce notes.
Issued by the North Korea Central Bank in 1947, this note represents the immediate post-World War II period following Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule and the subsequent division of the peninsula. The allegorical imagery of the farmer/laborer with tools on the obverse reflects the communist regime's emphasis on agricultural and productive labor, while the mountain landscape on the reverse evokes national identity and heritage. The use of Hanja (Chinese characters) alongside Arabic numerals reflects the transitional nature of Korean orthography during this formative period of the DPRK.
The obverse features two male allegorical figures in classical engraving style within an ornate circular frame: the left figure wears a wide-brimmed hat and carries a farming tool or scythe over his shoulder, representing agricultural labor; the right figure is bare-headed, representing industrial or general labor. Both are rendered in fine detail with intricate cross-hatching. The frame has a prominent red outer border with green corner decorations and elaborate scrollwork typical of 1940s currency design. The reverse depicts an iconic snow-capped mountain peak (likely Mount Paektu, the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula and symbolically significant to Korean national identity) rendered in brown and tan landscape engraving, surrounded by ornate green and brown decorative borders with symmetrical scrollwork and corner medallions containing Korean characters.
Front: '北朝鮮中央銀行' (North Korea Central Bank); '1' (denomination). Back: '日本朝鮮民國' (Japan Chosun People's Republic / Democratic People's Republic of Korea); '1947' (issue year); '1' (denomination). Note: The back inscription appears to reference the transitional nomenclature used in early DPRK currency, reflecting the complex political context of 1947.
Intaglio engraving (line engraving and cross-hatching) with multiple color passes. The fine line work, intricate border patterns, and sharp detail characteristic of security printing from this era. The specific printer for North Korean notes of this period is not definitively documented in widely available references, though such notes were likely produced by North Korea's central bank printing facilities or by Soviet technical assistance.
Pick catalog P-8a represents the base issue of this 1 Won denomination from 1947. Specific varieties would be distinguished by serial number prefixes, printing plant marks, or signature variants if present. The visual analysis does not reveal clear serial numbers or multiple signature varieties that would indicate distinct sub-varieties within P-8a. Further examination of serial number formatting and any signature blocks would be necessary to determine if this specimen represents a recognized sub-variety.
