North Korea

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Hi All,
I need some help with these notes.
I looked at the red & green stamps.
I have the North Korea 50 won 1978 in different combinations of the digit colour & shape of the red or green stamp.
Are these varieties or not?
These have red serial numbers on the front & a red stamp shaped like wings.
This one also has circular stamp - is it significant.

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Red & black digits & no stamp


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Black digits & green stamp shaped like wings

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Red digits & red box stamp

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Black digits & green box stamp
Often nation's whose economies are in the process of imploding (due to rampant mis & poor micromanagement) try many schemes to fight hyperinflation. One strategy happens to be trapping foreign currencies (or avoid exchanging their worthless money for more valuable currency) so they create a dubious foreign exchange currency to trap visitors into loosing whatever decent currency they brought in. Visitors fly into the countries are required to buy __X__ amount of these worthless coupon-like cash at the airport (& then spend it or be trapped with it).

Myanmar, Cuba & several other shady nations with incompetent/corrupt regimes practice these schemes with varying degrees of success.* So, I suspect that's the case with the 50 Won (& stamps) from North Korea. Take a look at this link from the Bank Note Museum which explains P-21b - e. If you scroll down you will note that they produced separate "Capitalist Visitors" & "Socialist Visitors" issues in 1988 (old habits die hard). So P-21a & North Korea's economy likely started to tank, then they roll out P-21b, c, d, etc (adding stamps to notify public that they should only be used by foreigners).

*Of course what actually happens is a huge black-market emerges, using USD or other currencies of value, since people have 0 confidence in propped-up, worthless currencies.
https://sites.google.com/view/notaphilycculture/collecting-banknotes
Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense.
Should these different p21 a-e be listed as such on the Numista page for this banknote.
Quote: "BluHawk"​Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense.
​Should these different p21 a-e be listed as such on the Numista page for this banknote.
​Yes, they should. Or would you prefer give each its own entry?
I am an amateur when it comes to these classifications. Okay with anything.
I am sure senior members like you and a few others can come to a decision.
Thanks

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