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2 Mun Tong, Cold
| Issuer | Kingdom of Joseon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1742-1752 |
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| 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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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | KM#671 |
| Obverse description | Cast copper cash coin of the Joseon dynasty featuring the standard four-character legend 常平通寶 (Sangpyeong Tongbo) arranged in cruciform fashion around a central square hole, reading top-bottom-left-right in the traditional manner. The characters are rendered in regular script (kaishu) in raised relief against a flat field, enclosed within a raised inner square rim and a plain outer rim. The overall design follows the conventions of East Asian cast coinage, with no additional decorative elements in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays two Chinese characters flanking the central square hole, with the mint indicator 統 (Tong, for Tongyong Naval Office) positioned above the hole and the denomination indicator 寒 (Han, denoting the 'cold' casting series) below, while a trigram symbol (☳, Zhen) appears to the left, serving as an additional workshop or series mark. All characters and symbols are cast in raised relief within the standard raised inner and outer rims typical of Joseon-period cash coinage. |
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| Additional information |
The "Cold" designation — a translation of the Korean 冷 (naeng) — refers to coins cast at furnaces operating at lower temperatures, a distinction the Joseon monetary authorities used to differentiate output quality across the numerous provincial and military casting bureaus authorized to produce 2 Mun coinage in the 1740s. Joseon never operated a centralized mint in the Western sense; casting rights were distributed across government offices, temples, and military commands, each producing to their own tolerances.
KM#671 is one of dozens of catalogued varieties from this period, distinguished by furnace designation rather than issuing office alone.