Korea (1898) yang KM-1119
This specimen was lot 21435 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Las Vegas, August 2020), where it sold for $1,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "KOREA. Yang, Year 2 (1898). Kuang Mu. NGC MS-62. Wide-spaced "YANG" type. Fully struck with rich gray-brown tone over clearly lustrous surfaces. An undoubtedly premium example of the issue with a highly desirable pedigree. Ex: Dr. Norman Jacobs Collection." Korea, long a protectorate of the Chinese empire, was attempting to organize herself as a fully independent nation when she fell victim to the power struggle between Russia and Japan. Japanese influence, predominant after the Sino-Japanese war of 1895, was challenged by Russian expansionism in the late 1890's. This culminated in the Russo-Japanese war of 1905 and Russian defeat. Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and colonized her until 1945. The five yang coin was minted to the standard of the Japanese silver yen; this yang would have equalled twenty sen. It is slightly scarcer than KM 1120, with a closely spaced "yang".
Recorded mintage: unknown but scarce.
Specification: 5.2 g, 0.800 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-1119; K&C-31.1.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The August 2020 ANA Auction: World Coins, featuring the Duke of Lansing Collection, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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