1 Mun Hun

The 1 Mun was the base denomination of the Joseon Dynasty's cash coinage, cast rather than struck — a production method Korea retained long after most East Asian mints had abandoned it. KM#449 dates to the late reign of King Cheoljong, a period of mounting fiscal pressure on the court, when the government was debating heavier debased issues to cover expenditures. Multiple government offices and military bureaus held casting authority simultaneously, meaning the same nominal type was produced across several facilities with no centralized quality control.