100 won 1947
About This Note
This is an exceptional example of North Korea's earliest currency issue, the 100 Won note from 1947 issued by the North Korea Central Bank (조선중앙은행). The note displays striking red and pink ornate borders with a central vignette depicting two male figures in work attire—one holding an axe—set against an industrial backdrop, symbolizing the post-liberation communist state's focus on labor and industry. In uncirculated condition, the note exhibits crisp detail, vibrant color preservation, and fine engraving work that makes it a significant piece of Korean numismatic history during the immediate post-WWII period.
Common. While this note is from North Korea's earliest currency issue (1947), the Pick P-11b denomination and series saw substantial print runs typical of a major denomination in an early post-war state currency. No evidence suggests limited availability, recalls, or extreme scarcity in the collector market. The uncirculated condition grade is notable but does not alone confer rarity status, as these notes have survived in decent condition due to the stability of North Korean currency collections and the relative youth of the issue.
This 1947 note represents North Korea's first independent currency issue following liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 and the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1948. The reverse features what is almost certainly Mount Paektu (Baekdu), the sacred mountain central to Korean and especially North Korean national identity, paired with the heroic labor imagery on the obverse—both powerful symbols of the emerging communist state's ideological vision. The use of Hangul script and distinctly Korean imagery marks a definitive break from the Japanese yen-based colonial monetary system.
The obverse features a heroic labor theme with two male workers—the left figure wears a wide-brimmed hat and carries an axe, symbolizing agricultural and manual labor, while the right figure represents industrial or general working-class identity. Behind them is visible an industrial facility, emphasizing the state's development agenda. The entire composition is framed within an ornate circular vignette surrounded by elaborate red and pink scrollwork, floral motifs, and geometric border patterns typical of security printing of the era. The reverse depicts a naturalistic landscape dominated by Mount Paektu with forested terrain, a mountain peak rising prominently in the composition, topped with a red banner containing state text. This geographical imagery references Korea's most sacred and symbolically important mountain, which held special significance in Korean communist mythology.
FRONT: 조선중앙은행 (Joseon Jung-ang Eun-haeng / Bank of Korea/Central Bank of Korea); 이백 (100 / literally 'twenty' but contextually indicating 100 Won); 100 (Arabic numeral denomination); Serial number 22 700389. BACK: 선조중국민 (Democratic People's Republic of Korea / though inscription appears partially unclear in transcription); 100 (Arabic numerals); 백원 (Baek-won / 100 Won); 1947 (date of issue). The denomination appears in both Hangul and Arabic numerals on both sides.
The note was produced using intaglio (engraved line) printing, evident from the fine-line detail work visible throughout the ornate borders, the intricate scrollwork, and the detailed rendering of both the portrait vignette and landscape scenes. The precision of the fine parallel lines in the security borders and the depth of detail in the engraved backgrounds are characteristic of high-security banknote production. The printer for early North Korean notes of this period is believed to be a Russian or Soviet facility, though this cannot be definitively confirmed from visual inspection alone.
Pick P-11b is the cataloged variety for this 100 Won note dated 1947. The serial number visible (22 700389) represents one of the print run variants. Early North Korean notes of 1947 may exist with varying serial number prefixes and printing characteristics, though detailed variety information for this specific issue is limited in Western numismatic literature due to the restricted nature of North Korean currency documentation. The observed specimen appears to be a standard circulation-issue note rather than a specimen or special printing variant.
