1 Mun Ki

The 1 Mun was the base unit of the Joseon monetary system, though coinage itself was deeply unpopular in Korea for centuries — a largely agrarian economy that preferred grain and cloth as exchange media resisted metal currency well into the 19th century. Government attempts to force coin circulation, including mandatory tax payments in cash, met persistent rural resistance. By 1836, the coin's purchasing power had eroded to near nothing, and most examples entered and exited circulation within provincial markets before being melted or discarded.