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2 Mun Kum, Earth
| Issuer | Joseon (1392-1897) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1753 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Mun (1392-1892) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Cast round coin with a central square hole. The obverse field bears four Chinese characters arranged in cruciform fashion around the central perforation. The characters 常平 (Sangpyeong) are read top to bottom, referencing the Sangpyeong ('Ever-Normal') treasury administration of the Joseon Dynasty. The characters 通寶 (Tongbo), meaning 'circulating treasure' or currency, are read from right to left. The legends are rendered in regular script (kaishu) with clean, well-defined strokes typical of mid-18th century Joseon cast coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 常平通寶 |
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| Additional information |
The "Kum" (禁) series was struck under the authority of the Forbidden Guard Office (Gumwiyeong), one of several military bureaus granted minting rights by the Joseon court in the eighteenth century as a means of funding garrison operations directly — bypassing the central treasury. The Earth (地) designation is a cyclical casting sequence marker, not a mint location, used to organize die sets across successive production runs.
By 1753, the mun coinage had been in near-continuous circulation for nearly a century since its reintroduction under King Hyojong, though chronic under-funding and inconsistent copper supply meant casting quality varied sharply between issuing offices.