Product Description
SCWPM.P20b - TBB.B309b - 10 원 (won) Date: 1978 - Grade: Unc. - Specimen
This is a North Korean 10 won specimen note from 1978 (Pick P-20s) in uncirculated condition, featuring a striking pink and mauve color scheme with sculptural relief imagery of two male figures in a dynamic laborer's pose on the obverse. The reverse depicts an industrial harbor scene with factories and smokestacks, reflecting the nation's focus on economic development during this period. As a specimen note marked with red overprint stamps, this represents an official bank distribution example rather than circulation currency, making it a notable item for collectors of Korean numismatics and Cold War-era propaganda currency.
Historical Context
Issued in 1978 by the Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, this note represents a period of nationalist economic propaganda under Kim Il-sung's regime. The imagery—featuring heroic worker figures and industrial development with harbor scenes—exemplifies the North Korean government's emphasis on collective labor, industrial progress, and economic self-reliance (juche ideology) that dominated the late 1970s. The specimen nature of this note suggests it was distributed for official banking purposes and international currency documentation rather than general circulation.
