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5 Chon Gwang Mu - Japanese Protectorate
| Issuer | Imperial Korean Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1905-1907 |
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| In circulation to | 1910 |
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| Obverse description | Central device depicts a finely detailed ho-o (Korean phoenix) with outstretched wings facing left, rendered in high relief against a plain field. The mythical bird is enclosed within an inner beaded circle. Four Chinese characters (大韓, meaning 'Great Korea') are positioned at the upper left and right outside the beaded circle, with the regnal date legend (光武十一年, '11th year of Gwang Mu') flanking the sides. The Hangul legend '오젼' (Five Jeon) appears at the lower right outside the beaded circle, while the Latin denomination '5 CHON' is inscribed along the lower portion between bullet separators. The entire design is framed by an outer reeded or beaded border. |
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| Reverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
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| Additional information |
Korea's 5 Chon was struck during the final compression of the Joseon dynasty's financial independence. Japan had assumed control of Korean customs revenue in 1905 and, through the First Japan-Korea Agreement of the same year, installed advisors who effectively directed state finances — including the mint. These coins circulated under a government that was sovereign in name only, with Japanese Resident-General Itō Hirobumi overseeing the administration in which they were produced.
Full annexation came in 1910, making this series one of the last outputs of an identifiably Korean issuing authority before the colonial mint apparatus replaced it entirely.