Standalone Korea Coin Encyclopedia
Korean Monetary Systems
A relationship map of units, issuing authorities, reforms, and transitions without treating every object used in Korea as a Korean issue.
한국 화폐 · 韓國貨幣
- Historical periods
- 10
- Authorities
- 9
- Monetary systems
- 9
- Publication
- Published
Authority and unit
Political control does not define coin ownership
Legal jurisdiction, controlling power, issuer, note bank, central bank, producing mint, and canonical catalog are stored independently.
| System | Jurisdiction | Unit model | Dates | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goryeo mixed money system | korea-pre-1945 | cast cash, silver and commodity monies | Earlier–1392 | — |
| Joseon mun and cast-cash system | korea-pre-1945 | mun; office and value-class layers | Earlier–1894 | — |
| Yang decimal reform system | korea-pre-1945 | 1 yang = 10 jeon = 100 pun | 1894–1905 | 1 yang = 10 jeon = 100 pun |
| Korean Empire won system | korea-pre-1945 | 1 won = 100 jeon | 1905–1910 | 1 won = 100 jeon |
| Chosen yen system | korea-japanese-rule | Japanese yen coins with territory-specific banknotes | 1911–1945 | parity with Japanese yen |
| First South Korean won | south-korea | won; Bank of Korea coinless issue layer | 1950-06-12–1953-02-16 | — |
| South Korean hwan | south-korea | 1 hwan = 100 jeon | 1953-02-17–1962-06-09 | 100 first won = 1 hwan |
| Second South Korean won | south-korea | 1 won = 100 jeon | 1962-06-10–present | 10 hwan = 1 won |
| North Korean won | north-korea | won and chon | 1947–present | — |
Denomination model
Similar translations do not merge distinct systems
Mun, pun, jeon, yang, hwan, and won are linked to the legal and historical system in which they operated.
| Denomination | Korean | Hanja | System IDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mun | 문 | 文 | kr-system-joseon-mun |
| 2 mun | 2문 | 當二 | kr-system-joseon-mun |
| 5 mun | 5문 | 當五 | kr-system-joseon-mun |
| 100 mun | 100문 | 當百 | kr-system-joseon-mun |
| Pun | 푼 | 分 | kr-system-empire-yang |
| Jeon | 전 | 錢 | kr-system-empire-yang, kr-system-empire-won |
| Yang | 양 | 兩 | kr-system-empire-yang |
| Hwan | 환 | 圜 | kr-system-south-hwan |
| South Korean won | 원 | 圓 | kr-system-south-first-won, kr-system-south-second-won |
| North Korean won | 원 | 圓 | kr-system-north-won |
Continue browsing
Related Korea encyclopedia routes
All routes retain independent evidence and publication gates.
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 PeriodA chronological browser that keeps shared Korean history and post-1945 state branches explicit.
denominations Korean Coin DenominationsMun, 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 ManufactureCast square-holed cash, formed silver money, foreign hosts, and machine-struck coins require different identification methods.
foreign coins Foreign Coins Used in KoreaChinese cash, trade silver, and Japanese metropolitan coins retain their host identities while their Korean circulation is documented as a relationship.
goryeo Goryeo CoinageA cautious overview of court coin experiments, inscribed cash, silver bottle money, and the continuing role of commodity and foreign money.
joseon Joseon CoinageJoseon 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 KoreaA 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 DivisionA transition map from the end of colonial rule to separate South and North Korean authorities and currencies.
north korea North Korean CoinageA conservative DPRK catalog foundation that separates verified state currency from uncertain commercial and collector issues.
date guide Korean Coin Date and Inscription GuideRead Hangul, Hanja, Gwangmu, Yunghui, Gregorian, and Juche inscriptions without forcing one dating system across every Korean coin.
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.
Korean monetary-history materials
national-history-institution · 2026-07-31
Open sourceHistory of Korean Currency, 1950–2005
official-currency-timeline · 2026-07-31
Open sourceUnknown 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.