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Standalone Korea Coin Encyclopedia

South Korean Coin Date and Inscription Guide

Read Hangul country names, won denominations, Arabic numerals, Gregorian years, and generation context on Republic of Korea coins.

대한민국 주화 · 大韓民國鑄貨

South Korea current-series 50 won, obverse South Korea current-series 50 won, reverse
South Korea current-series 50 won. Verified obverse and reverse, shown as a named example that accurately matches this guide's subject. Image source: Bank of Korea Currency Museum · License: Bank of Korea Currency Reproduction Guidelines
Modern systems
3
Current denominations
6
Official status check
2026-07-31
Publication
Published

Authority model

Bank of Korea issues; KOMSCO manufactures

The Bank of Korea controls official specifications, issue history, and legal status. KOMSCO is the production authority; manufacture, delivery, issue, and circulation remain distinct.

IssuerBank of Korea

한국은행

ProducerKOMSCO

한국조폐공사

Status checked2026-07-31

Official source snapshot

Official current specifications

Six Bank of Korea denominations

Current official denomination and legal tender do not mean every denomination is manufactured every year. Missing annual production is not zero.

DenominationKoreanDesignCompositionWeightDiameterEdgeFirst issue
1 won일원Rose of Sharon (Mugunghwa)aluminum 100%0.729 g17.2 mmplain1966-08-16
5 won오원Turtle shipcopper 65%, zinc 35%2.95 g20.4 mmplain1966-08-16
10 won십원Dabotap Pagodacopper-clad aluminum; copper 48%, aluminum 52%1.22 g18 mmplain1966-08-16
50 won오십원Rice stalkcopper 70%, zinc 18%, nickel 12%4.16 g21.6 mmmilled1972-12-01
100 won백원Admiral Yi Sun-Shincopper 75%, nickel 25%5.42 g24 mmmilled1970-11-30
500 won오백원Red-crowned cranecopper 75%, nickel 25%7.7 g26.5 mmmilled1982-06-12

Inscription method

Read country, value, and year together

Check 대한민국 or 한국은행 context, the 원 unit, Arabic denomination numerals, Gregorian year, and the physical generation before assigning an issue identity.

대한민국

Republic of Korea country legend.

Won unit; value must still match the numeral and design.

1982

Gregorian year; validate it against the design generation.

Continue browsing

Related Korea encyclopedia routes

All routes retain independent evidence and publication gates.

south overview Republic of Korea Coinage

A Bank of Korea–controlled encyclopedia from the coinless first-won issue layer through hwan and all six second-won coin denominations.

south current South Korean Current Circulation Coins

Official specifications and legal status for 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 won, with valid-old designs and annual manufacturing kept distinct.

south denomination South Korea 500 Won

The red-crowned crane 500 won coin introduced in 1982, with official dimensions, alloy, edge, and legal status.

south transition South Korea's Liberation and Currency Transition

From liberation and inherited money to the Bank of Korea, first won, hwan, and second won, with each legal transition dated separately.

south first won First South Korean Won

A Bank of Korea monetary system whose new issue layer was banknote-based; it does not gain a fabricated coin series merely because older coins circulated in the transition.

south hwan South Korean Hwan

The 1953–1962 hwan system, its 100-to-1 reform from the first won, and its three 1959 coin denominations.

south hwan coins Bank of Korea Hwan Coins

The 10, 50, and 100 hwan coins introduced in 1959 and manufactured in Philadelphia, with issue and withdrawal status recorded independently.

south second won Second South Korean Won

The post-1962 won system, separating legal tender, denomination status, design generation, manufacture, issue, proof, and set distribution.

south denomination South Korea 1 Won

The aluminum Mugunghwa denomination, current official specification, legal generations, and documented issue cessation for the earliest generation.

south denomination South Korea 5 Won

The brass turtle-ship denomination across its Bank of Korea design generations.

south denomination South Korea 10 Won

Dabotap from the larger brass generations to the current copper-clad aluminum coin introduced in 2006.

south denomination South Korea 50 Won

The rice-stalk denomination introduced in 1972 and revised in 1983.

south denomination South Korea 100 Won

The Admiral Yi Sun-Shin denomination from the 1970 introduction to the smaller 1983 generation.

south commemoratives South Korean Commemorative Coinage Foundation

Issuer, producer, approval, par-versus-premium issue, legal tender, and collector distribution are separated before Phase 5 issue research.

Sources

Institutional evidence for this page

Source links support the stated scope; they do not license unsourced varieties, market values, or image reuse beyond recorded terms.

Bank of Korea

Introduction to Coins

official-current-specifications · 2026-07-31

Open source
Evidence boundary

Unknown dates, mintages, annual manufacturing, attributions, legal status, and image identity remain unavailable. They never become zero or a confident claim. No market prices are published in this foundation.