In 1997, the Central Bank of DPR Korea issued a silver commemorative coin of Kaesong Koryo Insam.
Carved on the central front of the coin are the image of the Kaesong Koryo Insam and letters reading “10 WON”. On the upper part of the front are letters reading “KAESONG KORYO INSAM”.
On the central back of the coin is the national emblem of the DPRK. Seen in the upper part of the back are the letters “The Central Bank of the DPRK” (조선민주주의인민공화국중앙은행) and in its lower part are the degree of purity, composition, weight and minting year.
The face value of the silver coin is 10 won.
The silver coin contains 1oz of 999 silver.
Here is an introduction to Kaesong Koryo Insam,
Kaesong Koryo Insam
Korea that has been noted for its beautiful natural scenery boasts the abundance of precious medicinal herbs with special effects for human health and longevity and a long history of their cultivation, processing and application.
Among those herbs is insam (ginseng) which is famous as a cure-all. Originally, it was called sansam (wild ginseng) as it grows naturally in mountains, and insam since it was cultivated by humans. Insam that had been cultivated in Korea from ancient times became widely known throughout the world over 1 000 years previously in the days of Koryo, the first unified state in Korea. Hence its name Koryo insam.
The people of Koryo cultivated insam by inheriting the method of adapting sansam to fields employed in the period of Koguryo, and later developed new methods of making hongsam and paeksam from six-year-old insam that was grown from seed. These methods have been made a tradition in insam cultivation and are maintained to this date.
Generally Koryo insam means the one produced in the area of Kaesong where the climate and soil are suitable for its cultivation, and Kaesong Koryo insam achieved worldwide fame for its pharmacological effects. There goes an old saying, Insam grown in the Mt Songak area is genuine in quality. Like this, Kaesong is the home of cultivating and processing insam, and in the Koryo period the trade value of insam surpassed that of gold and silver.
Kaesong Koryo insam, a national treasure of Korea, will boast its excellent medicinal effects and time-honoured history and make a great contribution to promoting health and developing culture of mankind.
O Hae Yon (2019). Kaesong Koryo Insam. Pyongyang: Foreign Language Publishing House of the DPR Korea