50 South Korean Won Banknote (Haegeumgang)

50 Won Won (Issued 1962)

South Korea’s currency reform of 1962 replaced the Hwan with the Won at a rate of ten to one, an urgent monetary restructuring driven by the government’s push to stabilise prices and stimulate an economy still rebuilding from the Korean War. The 50 Won denomination entered circulation at a time when South Korea was heavily reliant on agricultural exports, light manufacturing, and growing trade partnerships as the foundations of its early industrialisation. Everyday commerce — from market transactions to small industrial payments — depended on notes of this value as the new Won series sought to establish confidence in the reformed monetary system. This note stands as a tangible record of one of the most consequential financial turning points in modern Korean history.

On the front, the dominant feature is a dramatic engraved vignette on the left-hand side depicting the distinctive columnar rock formations of Chongseokjeong, a famous geological site on South Korea’s eastern coastline, rendered in fine intaglio line work against a calm body of water. The overall colour scheme of the front face is a warm rose-red and terracotta, with the central and right-hand portions of the note filled with elaborate guilloché rosette patterning in pale blue-green and muted tones, providing a layered security background. At the centre of the guilloché field sits a circular floral rosette design incorporating the Taeguk symbol — the yin-yang motif drawn from the Korean flag — surrounded by intricate geometric latticework. The issuing authority is identified in Hangul script as 한국은행권 (Bank of Korea note) across the upper portion of the note, with the denomination stated in both Korean characters 오십원 and the numeral 50 appearing in the upper right and lower corners. The serial number EA 9337549 is printed in dark ink across the lower left section of the note. To the right of the central guilloché area, a circular red seal bearing stylised script — the official Bank of Korea seal — is clearly visible. The border of the note is framed by a repeating geometric pattern in the same terracotta-red tone, and fine text along the lower margin includes printing authority information in small Korean characters.

The reverse presents a bold and well-structured design printed predominantly in deep burgundy-red against a pale blue-grey background. The issuing bank name, “THE BANK OF KOREA”, is printed in clear Roman capitals within a decorative banner at the top of the note, and the denomination “50 WON” appears in a matching banner along the bottom. The numeral 50 is set within ornate guilloché cartouches on both the left and right sides of the note, each enclosed by finely engraved scrollwork and lozenge-shaped border panels. At the centre of the reverse, a torch bearing a flame is depicted rising from a wreath of flowers — likely mugunghwa, the Rose of Sharon, which is South Korea’s national flower — rendered in detailed engraved line work. The background of the central field is filled with concentric guilloché wave patterns that radiate outward from behind the central torch motif, adding depth and an effective anti-counterfeiting visual complexity. The overall composition of the reverse is symmetrical and formally structured, reflecting the engraving conventions of mid-twentieth-century security printing.

This 50 Won banknote can be exchanged through Webuyallcurrency.com, where old or withdrawn South Korean Won banknotes are bought alongside other foreign currency — ideal for clearing a drawer of mixed coins and notes at once.

• Indicate the quantity of 50 Won Won banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com helps you exchange old coins and banknotes with no fuss, combining your South Korean Won banknotes with other foreign currency into a single, hassle-free cash exchange.

Other South Korean Won you can exchange: 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000.