North Korea ½-CHON (KM187)

In 2002, North Korea issued a series 12 coins, eight with animals and four with planes, trains, and ships. There are 100 chon to the won, which makes the denomination of these coins quite small. I doubt these were intended for circulation, but I have included them anyway.

I originally thought this was a vulture, but biologist and Coin Zoo visitor Peter S. of Austria tells me it is a Helmeted guineafowl. And sure enough, that bird matches the one depicted on this coin right down to the bony knob on its head. Although this bird is native to Africa, it has been widely introduced to other parts of the world, mostly to be eaten.