10 South Korean Won Banknote (Cheomseongdae)

10 Won Won (Issued 1962-1965)

Withdrawn from circulation following South Korea’s currency reforms of the mid-1960s, the 10 Won banknote of the First Won Series was issued between 1962 and 1965 as part of a broader monetary reorganisation undertaken by the Bank of Korea. The introduction of the new Won in 1962 replaced the Hwan at a rate of one Won to ten Hwan, marking a decisive break in the country’s post-war monetary history. As the South Korean economy developed and coinage progressively took over lower denominations, paper notes of this value were phased out and ultimately withdrawn from legal tender status. The note now serves as a tangible record of one of the most consequential periods in modern Korean financial history.

On the front, the note is printed predominantly in shades of deep rose-red and mauve on cream-toned paper, giving it a warm, subdued palette characteristic of mid-twentieth-century intaglio printing. The central left portion of the face features a detailed engraved vignette of Cheomseongdae, the historic seventh-century astronomical observatory located in Gyeongju, South Korea, rendered with careful attention to the stonework’s cylindrical construction and its distinctive stepped base. The structure is set against a lightly suggested sky and landscape background, lending the vignette a three-dimensional quality typical of fine-line engraving of the period. To the right of the observatory, the denomination is expressed in large Korean script reading “십 원” (ten won), printed in a bold, dominant style against a pale central panel that also carries a smaller secondary reference to the Bank of Korea in Korean characters. The issuing authority, “한국은행권” (Bank of Korea note), appears in Korean script along the upper portion of the note. A circular red seal, bearing Korean text, is stamped to the right of centre, partially overlapping the denomination numeral panel. The numeral “10” appears prominently in the upper right within a decorative scalloped rosette cartouche, and the words “TEN WON” are printed in Roman lettering at the lower right corner. The borders of the note are filled with intricate geometric and guilloché ornamentation, including repeating stylised floral and lattice patterns that frame the entire composition, with corner medallion devices providing additional security through their fine-line complexity. A serial number appears twice in red — once at the upper left and once at the lower right — in the format characteristic of this series.

The reverse of the note is printed in a rich dark maroon-purple against a background of pale blue-tinted paper, with the contrast between these two tones providing the dominant visual character of the design. The central focus of the reverse is a finely engraved oval vignette depicting the Turtle Ship, or Geobukseon, the famous armoured warship associated with Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s naval campaigns of the late sixteenth century. The vessel is shown in profile on the water, its distinctive domed, spike-studded shell roof clearly visible, along with the dragon-headed prow, a mast flying a flag, and oars extending from the hull — all rendered with considerable precision in the engraving. This central vignette is framed within an elaborate cartouche of scrollwork and fine-line decoration. Above the vignette, the text “THE BANK OF KOREA” is printed in bold Roman capitals in a curved banner. Below the central image, the words “TEN WON” appear in Roman lettering. On both the left and right flanks of the note, the numeral “10” is set within ornate rosette cartouches that mirror the front design language. The remainder of the reverse surface is covered in densely rendered guilloché wave patterns that sweep across the background in fine parallel lines, providing both decorative effect and an additional security measure against reproduction. The overall engraving quality throughout the reverse is precise and deeply impressed, consistent with the standards of mid-century security printing.

Webuyallcurrency.com buys foreign coins and banknotes for cash, including this 10 Won banknote from South Korea. Send it in with any other South Korean Won banknotes you have and we will handle the exchange in a single straightforward process.

• Indicate the quantity of 10 Won Won banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Turn forgotten South Korean Won banknotes into money: Webuyallcurrency.com lets you exchange foreign coins and notes — even withdrawn ones — as part of one clear transaction, no specialist knowledge required.

Other South Korean Won you can exchange: 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000.