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1 Mun Kum
| Issuer | Joseon Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1742 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Bronze |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Cast bronze reverse featuring a central square perforation with a raised square border. Two Chinese characters in regular script are positioned around the hole: 禁 (Kum, meaning 'forbidden' or abbreviation for Kumwiyong, the Court Guard Military Unit) at the top, and 六 (six, denoting series number 6) at the bottom. A small raised circular dot (○) appears to the right of the central hole, serving as a mint or series marker. The field is otherwise plain, with a broad encircling rim consistent with the obverse. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 禁 ○ 六 (Translation: Court Guard Military Unit, series 6) |
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| Additional information |
The 1 Mun was the basic copper cash coin of Joseon Korea, cast rather than struck — a production method inherited from Chinese precedent and maintained long after striking became standard elsewhere in East Asia. KM#342 dates to the reign of Yeongjo, whose 52-year rule was among the longest in the dynasty's history and included persistent efforts to stabilize a currency system plagued by regional shortages and unofficial casting by provincial foundries.
Mint identification on these pieces is encoded in the reverse characters, which attribute production to specific government offices or military commands — a bureaucratic system that makes die attribution possible but catalog cross-referencing inconsistent across Western references.