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Standalone Korea Coin Encyclopedia

From Korean Empire Coinage to Colonial Currency

A transition account that preserves Korean institutional agency and issue identity while documenting the loss of monetary sovereignty.

대한제국 화폐 · 大韓帝國貨幣

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
Systems
3
Denominations
14
Canonical issuer
Korean Empire
Publication
Published

Sovereign identity

Korean reform is not reduced to foreign pressure

The catalog preserves Korean institutional agency while documenting international standards, foreign advisers, contract production, Japanese financial influence, and the later loss of monetary sovereignty.

1Political authority2Issuing authority3Monetary authority4Production authority5Mint facility6Controlling influence

Reform sequence

Yang and won systems have distinct legal structures

Authorization, implementation, manufacture, custody, issue, circulation, and colonial replacement are separate events.

SystemDatesBase unitSubunitsStandardLegal basis
Late Joseon hwan and mun modernization issues1888–1892hwan or mun by issuetransitionalinstitutional object evidence; complete legal instrument register pending
Yang-based modern system1892–1905yangjeon, punsilver-standard framework after 1894 regulation; subsidiary nickel and copper1894 New Currency Issuance Regulations
Korean Empire won system1905–1910wonjeon, ringold-standard framework with silver, nickel, and bronze subsidiary coins1905 implementation of the 1901 currency framework
  1. New Currency Issuance Regulations defined a yang-based modern denomination structure.

  2. A gold-standard framework was declared in 1901 and implemented through 1905 coinage regulations; authorization and actual circulation are not conflated.

  3. Annexation ended Korean imperial monetary sovereignty; colonial legislation and circulation changes are tracked without making earlier Korean coins Japanese.

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Related Korea encyclopedia routes

All routes retain independent evidence and publication gates.

empire overview Korean Empire Coinage

A sovereign Korean coinage system shaped by domestic reform, modern minting, international standards, foreign production, and mounting external pressure.

empire dates Gwangmu and Yunghui Coin Date Guide

Retain the original era inscription while converting legible Gwangmu and Yunghui dates to Gregorian years.

empire mints Korean Empire Mints and Facilities

Issuing authority, production authority, Korean facility, foreign facility, and mintmark evidence are displayed independently.

empire foreign production Foreign Production of Korean Empire Coins

Osaka production is a manufacturing relationship, not a reassignment of Korean coin identity.

empire metal Korean Empire Copper and Bronze Coins

Copper and bronze subsidiary issues across changing unit systems, with alloy claims tied to individual sources.

empire metal Korean Empire Nickel and Cupronickel Coins

Cupronickel reform coinage and the fiscal problems of overissued subsidiary money.

empire metal Korean Empire Silver Coins

Yang- and won-system silver denominations with issue-specific fineness, weight, facility, and production evidence.

empire metal Korean Empire Gold Coins

Gold-standard coinage with legal authorization, manufacture, custody, issue, and circulation treated as separate evidence states.

empire patterns Korean Empire Trials and Patterns

A gated research register separating proposed, trial, pattern, manufactured, and circulating objects.

empire grading Grading Korean Empire Coins

Metal-specific grading separates wear, strike, planchet, cleaning, corrosion, and casting or machine-production artifacts.

empire authentication Authenticating Korean Empire Coins

Check weight, diameter, alloy, edge, era inscription, denomination, mint evidence, and alteration without authenticating from an image alone.

empire collecting Collecting Korean Empire Coins

Collect by reform system, denomination, metal, era, or verified mint relationship while treating scarce gold and patterns conservatively.

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.

World Coin Book

Korea under Japanese rule monetary relationship register

internal-compatibility-record · 2026-07-31

Open source
Bank of Korea Money Museum

The First Three Gold Coins of the Korean Empire

official-museum · 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.