5 won 1978
About This Note
A pristine uncirculated 5 Won banknote from North Korea's 1978 issue, featuring a striking dual-portrait design on the obverse depicting a man in formal Western dress and a woman in traditional Korean garments against an urban cityscape backdrop. The reverse presents a dramatic mountainous landscape with river valley and dense forest, rendered in fine engraved detail. The note exhibits excellent color saturation with pink, blue, and gray tones, crisp printing clarity, and no visible wear or damage—a genuine UNC example of this Cold War-era emission.
Common. The 5 Won denomination from 1978 (Pick P-19b) was part of North Korea's standard circulating currency series with substantial print runs. No historical evidence suggests limited production, recall, or exceptional scarcity. Notes of this type remain relatively available in the numismatic market, particularly in circulated grades. UNC examples command modest premiums typical of preserved banknotes but do not qualify as scarce or rare.
Issued during the height of North Korea's isolationist period under Kim Il-sung's regime, this 1978 note reflects the state's ideological blending of traditional Korean culture with socialist modernity, evident in the pairing of contemporary formal dress with traditional garments on the obverse. The mountainous landscape on the reverse, likely depicting a North Korean natural landmark, symbolizes the nation's geographic isolation and self-reliance ideology prevalent during this era of the DPRK's economic and political consolidation.
The obverse features two allegorical figures representing socialist and traditional Korean identity: a man in formal dark Western-style suit and hat (symbolizing modern socialist leadership) and a woman in light-colored traditional Korean hanbok (symbolizing cultural heritage), positioned against a backdrop of modern urban architecture with tall buildings. The reverse depicts a naturalistic mountain landscape with jagged, dramatic peaks characteristic of the Korean peninsula's topography, a river valley with flowing water, and dense forest vegetation. Both sides are framed by ornate decorative borders featuring floral and geometric guilloche patterns. The North Korean state emblem with radiating lines appears in the top left of the obverse. Large denomination numerals '5' are integrated into decorative circular cartouches positioned in multiple locations for visual balance.
Front side: '조선민주주의인민공화국' (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), '중앙은행' (Central Bank), denomination '5' and '원' (Won), serial number '00 040959'. Back side: '조선민주주의인민공화국중앙은행' (Democratic People's Republic of Korea Central Bank), denomination '5' and '원' (Won).
Intaglio engraving (recess printing), evidenced by the fine line work, intricate guilloche security patterns, detailed landscape rendering with cross-hatching techniques, and crisp impression characteristic of currency-grade engraved dies. The complex border ornamentation and security features are consistent with professional currency printer production standards. North Korean notes of this era were typically produced by state security printers.
The observed serial number '00 040959' indicates this is from the standard production run. Pick P-19b specifically denotes the 1978 issue of the 5 Won denomination. Known varieties for this Pick number are minimal; primary variants would relate to serial number prefixes and potential printer marks. No overprints, security thread variations, or other distinguishing features characteristic of major varieties are evident in this example.
