This magnificent silver coin was struck in 1991 by the U.S. Mint to commemorate the thirty eight year anniversary of the Korean War; a devastating conflict that has been forgotten by some but is certainly remembered by veterans and those with an astute knowledge of Asian and Korean history. Find out more about this special Korean War commemorative Silver Dollar today.

Origins

The Korean War began in 1950 and lasted until 1953. It is considered a part of the Cold War and is widely regarded by many historians as being one of the costliest conflicts in human history, with fatalities as high as three million. In fact, the proportional loss of civilian lives during this conflict is considered higher than the Vietnam War and even World War 2.

During June of 1950, North Korea launched an invasion of South Korea in the aftermath of South Korean rebellions and border clashes between the two regions. North Korea had Soviet Union backing as well as that of China while South Korea had the backing of the U.S. and its allies. Japan had previously annexed all of Korea in 1910, and ruled over the peninsula for thirty five years until its ultimate defeat and surrender to the United States in 1945. The Soviet Union and USA then made the fateful decision to divide Korea along its thirty eighth parallel, resulting in two occupation zones.

North Korea was then governed by Kim II-sung, while South Korea was governed by Syngman Rhee. Each government claimed legitimate dominion over the entire peninsula, with neither accepting a permanent division. After North Korea begin its invasion in June of 1950, South Korea, the USA and its allies were forced to form a defensive coalition, with the U.N Security Council condemning the actions of North Korea.

Features

The coin’s obverse side depicts a soldier running up a nearby hill, with 2 F-86 Sabre Jets flying above him and naval ships within the backdrop. The words “THIRTY EIGHT ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE” can be seen, and the total number of coins minted is approximately 618,488. In 2008 a collector managed to get a hold of a rare specimen which displayed a ninety degree rotational die error.

The Korean Dollar 1991-P variant is the proof and it is exceedingly rare for them to display rotational dies, so this drives up the value among dealers, collectors and experts. John M. Mercanti and James Ferrell are the engravers of this coin and on its reverse side you can see a Korean map with a division near its thirty eighth parallel along with the Taegeuk symbol, which symbolizes oppositional unity, or yin and yang. The head of an eagle is also visible on the map’s right side. As with the coin’s obverse side, Latin script is used with lettering that says “ONE DOLLAR E PLURIBUS UNUM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”

This coin has reeded edges and the uncirculated variant was struck in the Denver Mintage, while its proof version was struck at the Mint of Philadelphia. Surcharges generated from this commemorative program were utilized for the Korean War Veterans Memorial construction.