2008 North Korea 500 Won Specimen Banknote Arch of Triumph P-101s Note

Issued by the Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (조선민주주의인민공화국 중앙은행), this official 500 Won specimen banknote (오백원) carries the Juche calendar year 97 (2008). Internationally cataloged within the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money as Pick #101s (P-101s) and The Banknote Book as B343s, this emission was created as part of the nation's major 2008–2009 redenomination currency reform. Designed specifically for official reference and interbank authentication, this note displays the prominent red boxed Korean specimen overprint "견본" (Gyeonbon) across the left obverse field and carries an official all-zero specimen serial number configuration ([ㅎ 0000000). The obverse features an engraving of the monumental Arch of Triumph (개선문) in Pyongyang—erected to commemorate Korean resistance to Japanese rule from 1925 to 1945—flanked by the national emblem of North Korea and background civic architecture. The reverse showcases the large central denomination numeral "500" framed by intricate multi-color guilloche security rosettes, traditional Korean decorative motifs, and geometric microprinting underprints. Specimen issues from this redenomination series serve as key highlight pieces for collections focused on East Asian numismatics, socialist central bank history, and world paper money varieties.

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