Korea (1866) 100 mun
This specimen was lot 1375 in Steve Album Auction 51 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2025), where it sold for $1,680. The catalog description[1] noted, "KOREA: Yi Hyong, 1864-1897, AE 100 mun, Tae Dong Treasury Department, ND (1866), ho above, tae below, denomination either side, mojeon ('seed' or 'mother' coin), Choice VF, RRR. This is only the third example of a large seed coin we have offered in the last decade." Numista comments, "The One Hundred Mun is the only denomination of sang pyong tong bo coinage for which accurate mint records exist. These coins were first cast by the Treasury Department on December 12, 1866 and put into circulation beginning January 15, 1867. The last coin was produced on June 16, 1867 which means these coins were cast for only 172 days. A total of 1,784,038 "One Hundred Mun" coins were cast by the government."
Recorded mintage: 1,784,038.
Specifications: 24 g, cast copper or bronze, 40.6 mm diameter, this specimen 22.69 g.
Catalog reference: KM-143.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 51, featuring the Howard Daniel III Collection of Asian Coins, the Almer H. Orr III Collection of World Coins and the Joe Sedillot Collection of German Coins, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2024.
Links:
- Korea (1857) mun, series 5, 8, 9, 10
- Korea (1881) mun, series 4, 7
- Coins and currency dated 1866