Dangbaekjeon

DangBaekJeon
(當百錢)
Value100 mun
Mass25.1 g
Thickness2.8 mm
CompositionCopper-alloy (brass)
Years of minting1866–1867
Mintage1,784,038[1]
Obverse
DesignSangpyeong Tongbo (常平通寶)
Design discontinued1892
Reverse
DesignHo Dae Dang Baek (户大當百)
Design discontinued1867
Dangbaekjeon
Hangul
당백전
Hanja
當百錢
Revised RomanizationDangbaekjeon
McCune–ReischauerTangbaekchŏn

The Dangbaekjeon (Korean당백전; Hanja當百錢) refers to a series of cash coins that were used during late Joseon period of Korean history, it was first issued in November of the year 1866 (Gojong 3) by the order of Heungseon Daewongun.

The hanja is inscribed on both sides of the coin. Words inscribed on the front side is Sangpyeong Tongbo [ko] (상평통보; 常平通寶), and on the back side, Hoe Dae Dang Baek (호대당백; 戶大當百). Hoe (호, 戶) stands for HoeJeo (호조, 戶曹), Joseon's ministry of revenue. Dae (대, 大) is a modifier which may be interpreted as 'the great'. Dang Baek (당백, 當百) means 'this coin worth 100 coins' in reference to the coins of 1 mun.[2]

As inscribed, it was worth 100 mun, which values it 100 times more than ordinary yeopjeon, and it would soon cause fatal inflation in the Joseon economy. It was lapsed in April 1867, after only 6 months of use.[3]

  1. ^ Numista - 100 Mun Ho. Retrieved: 29 September 2019.
  2. ^ "상평통보 당백전 | 소장품 검색". National Museum of Korea (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  3. ^ "당백전(當百錢)". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-10-12.