Joseon Tongbo

Joseon Tongbo
(朝鮮通寶)
Value1 mun, 10 mun, 1 jeon
CompositionCopper-alloy[1]
Years of minting1423–1425,
1625–1633,[2][3]
1881 (10 mun and 1 jeon)
Obverse
DesignJoseon Tongbo (朝鮮通寶)
Reverse
DesignBlank (1 mun)
(10 mun)
戸 / 户 - 一錢 (1 jeon)
Joseon Tongbo
Hangul
조선통보
Hanja
朝鮮通寶
Revised RomanizationJoseon Tongbo
McCune–ReischauerChosŏn T'ongbo

The Joseon Tongbo (Korean조선통보; Hanja朝鮮通寶) was an inscription used on Korean cash coins during the Joseon period first from 1423 until 1425 and later again from 1625 until 1633. Initially the attempt to introduce coinage to Korea proved unsuccessful as had been the case when the Goryeo state had attempted to issue its own coinage centuries earlier. But during the second attempt the Korean economy had evolved to become more reliant on trade and the need for coinage began to challenge the prevalence of barter in Korean society. In the year 1633 the Stabilisation Office (常平廳, Sangpyeongchŏng) introduced the Sangpyeong Tongbo [ko] (상평통보, 常平通寶) cash coins whose popularity would cause the Joseon Tongbo inscription to be phased out.

In the year 1881 the Korean government experimented with producing high denomination Joseon Tongbo cash coins, however, these were never issued.

  1. ^ Kang Hyung Kim, Kyu Ho Kim, and Woo Young Young (강형태, 김규호, 허우영, 평미량광) (2004). "조선통보의 주조원료와 산지 연구,1 - Raw Material and Provenance of Chosen-Tongbo (I)" (in Korean). Naver Academic. Retrieved 15 October 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Numista - 1 Mun. Retrieved: 15 October 2019.
  3. ^ Numista - 1 Mun (Ho). Retrieved: 15 October 2019.