100 South Korean Won Banknote (Independence Gate)

100 Won Won (Issued 1962-1969)

A consistent sage and olive green palette dominates every surface of this South Korean 100 Won note, a colour choice that was typical of mid-twentieth century Asian banknote design, where green tones conveyed institutional stability and were well-suited to the intaglio printing processes of the era. The tones shift subtly between the paler background tints and the deeper, richer greens of the engraved central imagery, creating a layered visual depth across the note’s surface. Intricate guilloché patterns fill the margins and frame the principal design elements, lending the note the precision craftsmanship expected of a central bank issue. Issued under the Bank of Korea’s first Won series following the 1962 currency reform, this note represents an important transitional moment in South Korean monetary history.

On the front, the left-hand portion of the note features a detailed engraved vignette of the Namdaemun Gate — the Great South Gate of Seoul — rendered in fine intaglio line work that captures the stone archway, its traditional tiered roofline, and surrounding trees with considerable draughtsmanship. The gate is depicted in a three-quarter perspective, allowing the architectural depth of its double-arched stone base to read clearly. To the right of the gate, the central panel carries bold Korean text reading 한국은행권, identifying this as a Bank of Korea note, with the denomination written in Korean script as 백원 (one hundred won) displayed prominently within an ornate oval framework of guilloché. A red official seal of the Bank of Korea appears beneath the Korean denomination text, adding a further layer of authentication. The numeral “100” is displayed in a circular rosette of fine-line geometric patterning to the far right of the note. The serial number 마30419343나 appears twice — once in the upper portion and once along the lower right — in standard black press type, and the plate reference number (342) is noted twice in the upper right and lower left corners. The word 백 (hundred) appears in Korean at both the upper left and lower left corners. The note’s typography throughout combines Korean script with Arabic numerals in a clean, authoritative layout consistent with official currency printing standards of the period.

The reverse presents a highly detailed intaglio engraving of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, the celebrated royal banquet hall set within the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, depicted here in an expansive landscape composition. The pavilion’s multi-tiered tiled roof, its timber colonnade of evenly spaced pillars, and the surrounding treeline are all rendered with exceptional line precision, conveying the grandeur of one of Korea’s most revered Joseon-dynasty architectural monuments. A dramatic sky of engraved cloud work fills the upper portion of the scene, enhancing the sense of scale and prestige. To the right of the central vignette, a large ornate oval cartouche contains the numeral “100” surrounded by an elaborate guilloché border incorporating dragon motifs and floral scroll work. The words “THE BANK OF KOREA” are inscribed in capitalised Roman lettering across the top of the note, with “100 WON” appearing in matching capitalised text along the lower border. Decorative floral and scroll corner pieces appear at each of the four corners, maintaining visual symmetry. The year 1965 is printed in small numerals along the lower central edge, indicating the specific print date within the 1962–1969 issue window. The two-letter plate reference 바 appears in the upper right and lower left positions, consistent with the note’s serial identification system.

Exchange foreign coins and notes with no fuss: Webuyallcurrency.com accepts this 100 Won banknote and other old or withdrawn South Korean Won banknotes, paying out for everything together in a single transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 100 Won Won banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Wondering who buys foreign coins and banknotes? Webuyallcurrency.com does — bring your South Korean Won banknotes together with any other old or withdrawn currency and exchange it all for cash in one place.

Other South Korean Won you can exchange: 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 50, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000.