2 new Koreans

laurentyvan

I have a thing for Korean cast bronze, especially with a red middle showing great detail in spidery gold letters.

Here are two more I just found that will match up well with my others:

First is a 1 mun piece, 1857, Military Training command, series five, XF:



The second is a 2 mun piece, 1742-52, Hwanghae Provincial office, VF:



I'm not really sure why the reverse of the 2 mun looks brighter around the rim than the obverse-it does not look cleaned in hand.

1960NYGiants

Curious - why where / are they red in the middle? Were they painted or something at one time?

Gene

laurentyvan

why where / are they red in the middle

Gene-excellent question and I have no answer for you. I've googled it in a number of different ways-there are simply not many good web sites dealing with Korean coins.

Maybe someone else will have an answer for us.

1jester

I'm sure Sumnom will know!

sumnom

Sumnom does know!

Korean coins were often used as parts of larger charms in which many coins were braided together and painted different colors. Thus, coins with some color like that were once part of a larger array of coins painted in different colors.

As for the 2 mun coin, here is some debate as to whether they really were two mun or not.

Both of your pieces posted here are beautiful. I suspect they are mother/seed coins, yes? It is quite difficult to find sangpyong tongbo with crisp obverse and reverse. Usually one side is much better than the other.

laurentyvan

sangpyong tongbo

"Always even currency"... what exactly did that refer to?

I suspect they are mother/seed coins, yes?

I suspected the one mun of being a seed coin but how to know? The detail is very sharp on both sides and the colors are virtually unbroken so maybe it was. Were a large number of seed coins necessary for the cast or sand molds?

Thanks for the website Sumnom, very informative. It's now in my favorites.

sumnom

I have answers for you but I have to run. I'll be back in a little bit..... don't touch that dial!

sumnom

Ever normal means never fluctuating in value. Of course, the sangpyong tongbo wildly fluctuated in value so the name is not terribly apt.

There was an Ever-Normal Bureau which managed the Ever Normal Granaries. These granaries were used to maintain stable grain prices. When prices went down, the granaries bought grain and when prices went up, they released surplus grain into the market to dampen prices. Some sources indicate that the ever normal coins were first minted under the auspices of the Ever Normal Bureau. Other sources indicate that the sangpyong tongbo was first minted by the Minisrtry of Taxation (hojo). Despite the similiarity in names, I think the later is more likely to be true.

sumnom

More about seed coins in a bit. It seems I am again being called away from the computer.

laurentyvan

More about seed coins in a bit. It seems I am again being called away from the computer.

Well, you've got to earn your bread...

1jester

<< <i>More about seed coins in a bit. It seems I am again being called away from the computer.

Well, you've got to earn your bread... >>



Why don't employers understand that coins are so much more important than work??!

sumnom

Actually, the problem in this case was my wife. She doesn't seem to have her priorities straight...