1 Won 1983, North Korea
| in Krause book | Number: 18с |
| Years of issue: | 1983 |
| Edition: | -- |
| Signatures: | no signature |
| Serie: | No Serie |
| Specimen of: | 1978 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 130 х 65 |
| Printer: | Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Pyongyang |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Avers:
Pioneer, soldier, gymnast woman and a girl with flowers. On the background - the capital of North Korea - Pyongyang.
Right below are the national flowers of North Korea - Magnolia sieboldii, (목란 / 木蘭).
Magnolia sieboldii, Siebold's Magnolia, also known as Oyama Magnolia, is a species of Magnolia native to eastern Asia in China, Japan, and Korea. It is named after the German doctor Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866).
Magnolia sieboldii is a large shrub or small tree 5-10 m. tall (16-32 feet). The stalks, young leaves, young twigs and young buds are downy. The leaves are elliptical to ovate-oblong, 9-16 cm. (rarely 25 cm.) long and 4-10 cm. (rarely 12 cm.) broad, with a 1.5-4.5 cm. petiole.
The flowers, unlike the better-known spring flowering Magnolias, open primarily in the early summer, but continue intermittently until late summer. They are pendulous, cup-shaped, 7-10 cm diameter, and have 6-12 tepals, the outer three smaller, the rest larger, and pure white; the carpels are greenish and the stamens reddish-purple or greenish-white.
There are three subspecies:
Magnolia sieboldii subsp. japonica. Japan. Low shrub; flowers with 6 petals and greenish-white stamens.
Magnolia sieboldii subsp. sieboldii. Japan, Korea, eastern China. Tree or large shrub; flowers with 9-12 tepals and reddish-purple stamens; leaves smaller, rarely over 16 cm.
Magnolia sieboldii subsp. sinensis. Southwestern China (Sichuan); flowers as subsp. sieboldii; leaves larger, commonly to 22 cm.
Magnolia sieboldii is grown as an ornamental tree in gardens. It is one of the hardiest magnolias, successful in cultivation as far north as the Arboretum Mustila in Finland.
Called mongnan or mokran (목란/木蘭), Siebold's Magnolia is the national flower of North Korea. 
In top left corner is the state emblem of the Korean People's Democratic Republic.
The National Emblem of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea bears the design of the Sup'ung Dam under Baekdu Mountain and bearing the beaming light of a five-pointed red star, with ears of rice forming an oval frame, bound with a red ribbon bearing the inscription "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in Chosongul characters.
In 1992, the Supreme People's Assembly amended the 1972 constitution and added "a grand hydroelectric power station under Mt. Paektu, the sacred mountain of the revolution" in Article 163, adding Baekdu Mountain on the emblem.
The emblem follows the basic design guidelines of the emblem of the Soviet Union adopted in many other countries including North Korea, which clearly indicates the relations between the communist ideology and the foundation of the country at the beginning of the Cold War.
Denominations in numerals are in lower left and top right corners. In words in lower right corner.
Revers:
The actors of revolutionary opera "Sea of Blood": Won Nam - the anti-Japanese guerrilla army soldier. Mother - Chairman sorority (actress Heliong Young) and her daughter Cap Sung.
Sea of Blood (Korean: 피바다) is a revolutionary novel, film, and opera created in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) about the mass killings during the long period of the Japanese occupation of Korea. The performance is considered as one of the "Five Great Revolutionary Operas" (Korean: 5대 혁명가극), a group of classical, revolution-themed opera repertoires well received within North Korea.
The actress Hong Yong-hee in her film role as The Flower Girl.
The Flower Girl is a North Korean revolutionary genre theatrical performance, which was written by the country's first Supreme Leader Kim Il-sung according to official North Korean sources. The performance is considered as one of the "Five Great Revolutionary Operas" (Korean: 5대 혁명가극), a group of classical, revolution-themed opera repertoires well received within North Korea. It was also made into a novel. A film adaption of the opera starring Hong Yong-hee was made in 1972.
Denominations in numerals are in lower left and top right corners. In words in lower right corner.
Comments:
Two red serial numbers with red stamp on reverse, marking the note as "Issue for capitalist visitors".
In 1979, the currency was again reformed, and a new banknote series was issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 won. There is ongoing speculation as to why this move was made. All 1959 banknotes were removed from circulation. Circulating coins, however, were not affected by this change.
There are two varieties of foreign certificates. For the 1978 banknote series, foreign certificates, called "Pakkundon", meaning "exchangeable money" were implemented by an overstamp and serial number color. These were first released in 1983 in two forms, one for "socialist visitors" and one for "capitalist visitors". Another series was released in 1986. These were issued in all denominations, except for the ₩100 note, presumably because it was assumed by the government that foreigners would not show proper respect for its depiction of Kim Il-sung. These notes were discontinued in 1988 and replaced with a new series of Pakkundon that was more distinguishable and unmistakable from generic circulation currency.
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