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2 Mun Yong; Metal
| Issuer | Joseon (1392-1897) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1752 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Mun (1392-1892) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Cast brass cash coin with a central square hole. The obverse bears four Chinese characters arranged in the traditional cross-reading format around the central perforation: 常平通寶 (Sangpyeong Tongbo), identifying the coin as currency of the Sangpyeong (Ever-Normal) Treasury, the principal monetary authority of the Joseon Dynasty. The characters are rendered in regular script (kaishu), with 常 (Sang) at top, 平 (Pyeong) at bottom, 通 (Tong) at right, and 寶 (Bo) at left, all within a plain, unadorned field. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse displays two Chinese characters flanking the central square hole, with additional symbols in the field. The character 营 (Yŏng, meaning Special Army Unit) appears at the top, serving as the mint mark identifying the issuing military bureau. The character 金 (Kŭm, meaning Metal) is positioned at the bottom, denoting the casting material or series designation. A crescent symbol appears to the left of the central hole, a common Joseon-period reverse mark used to distinguish emission batches or furnace series. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Cast — not struck — at one of the numerous furnace bureaus operating under the Joseon treasury system, this piece dates to a period when the Korean monetary supply was perpetually unstable. The 2 Mun denomination was introduced in 1742 as part of an effort to reduce the chronic shortages of the 1 Mun coinage, though hoarding and regional distribution failures plagued both values throughout the mid-eighteenth century.
The "Yong" furnace designation in the catalog name identifies the specific government casting bureau responsible, a detail that matters to specialists tracking regional die and alloy variation across the Joseon cash series.