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Standalone Korea Coin Encyclopedia

Korean Coin Date and Inscription Guide

Read Hangul, Hanja, Gwangmu, Yunghui, Gregorian, and Juche inscriptions without forcing one dating system across every Korean coin.

한국 화폐 · 韓國貨幣

Korean Empire 1906 half won, obverse Korean Empire 1906 half won, reverse
Korean Empire 1906 half won. Verified obverse and reverse, shown as a named example that accurately matches this guide's subject. Image source: Government of the Korean Empire; mechanical coin scans via MA-Shops · License: Public-domain coin scan
Historical periods
10
Authorities
9
Monetary systems
9
Publication
Published

Reading guide

Retain the original inscription before conversion

Hangul and Hanja names, Gwangmu and Yunghui era dates, Gregorian years, and Juche inscriptions remain visible beside normalized dates.

SystemKoreanHanjaConversionBoundary
Gwangmu era광무光武Gregorian year = era year + 1896Gwangmu year 1 is 1897.
Yunghui era융희隆熙Gregorian year = era year + 1906Yunghui year 1 is 1907.
Gregorian year서기Modern South Korean coins use Gregorian years.
Juche year주체主體Gregorian year = Juche year + 1911Juche dating is interpreted only when the inscription is present; pre-1997 DPRK catalog dates must not be retroactively relabeled.

Continue browsing

Related Korea encyclopedia routes

All routes retain independent evidence and publication gates.

overview Korea Coin Encyclopedia

A standalone, source-led catalog of Korean coinage from early money and cast cash through empire, colonial disruption, division, and the separate modern currencies of South and North Korea.

periods Korean Coinage by Historical Period

A chronological browser that keeps shared Korean history and post-1945 state branches explicit.

denominations Korean Coin Denominations

Mun, pun, jeon, yang, hwan, and won are tied to their own monetary systems instead of flattened into one value ladder.

coin forms Korean Coin Forms and Manufacture

Cast square-holed cash, formed silver money, foreign hosts, and machine-struck coins require different identification methods.

systems Korean Monetary Systems

A relationship map of units, issuing authorities, reforms, and transitions without treating every object used in Korea as a Korean issue.

foreign coins Foreign Coins Used in Korea

Chinese cash, trade silver, and Japanese metropolitan coins retain their host identities while their Korean circulation is documented as a relationship.

goryeo Goryeo Coinage

A cautious overview of court coin experiments, inscribed cash, silver bottle money, and the continuing role of commodity and foreign money.

joseon Joseon Coinage

Joseon coinage is organized around authority, casting institutions, value classes, and monetary change rather than a flat date list.

colonial transition Japanese Colonial Monetary Disruption in Korea

A Korean-canonical transition page distinguishing Japanese political control, Bank of Chosen notes, Japanese metropolitan coins, and surviving Korean Empire money.

liberation Liberation, Currency Transition, and Division

A transition map from the end of colonial rule to separate South and North Korean authorities and currencies.

north korea North Korean Coinage

A conservative DPRK catalog foundation that separates verified state currency from uncertain commercial and collector issues.

Sources

Institutional evidence for this page

Source links support the stated scope; they do not license unsourced varieties, market values, or image reuse beyond recorded terms.

National Institute of Korean History

Gwangmu and Yunghui era chronology

national-history-institution · 2026-07-31

Open source
Bank of Korea

Introduction to Coins

official-current-specifications · 2026-07-31

Open source
Evidence boundary

Unknown dates, mintages, annual manufacturing, attributions, legal status, and image identity remain unavailable. They never become zero or a confident claim. No market prices are published in this foundation.