Korea (1906) 10 won
This specimen was lot 21314 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Philadelphia, August 2018), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Exceptional Gem 1906 10 Won KOREA. 10 Won, Year 10 (1906). Osaka Mint. Kuang Mu (1897-1907). NGC MS-66. Reeded edge. Dragon coined in a dotted circle clutches the mythological Pearl of Celestial Wisdom, outer legend states the national name Dae Han, Regnal date, denomination in the Korean phonetic alphabet; Reverse: Vertical denomination under Korean Plum Flower Crest, all in wreaths composed of Rose of Sharon and Plum branches. The gold coins of 20, 10 and 5 Won appeared just before Korea's independence ended with the Japanese occupation. Of those 5,012 struck in the 10 Won denomination, most were kept in the Dai Ichi Ginko, Bank of Japan, as backing for gold notes, and nearly all were subsequently melted after the annexation. Few survive today, and this wonderfully pedigreed piece, tied for the highest graded with one other at NGC and PCGS combined, may very well be the finest, with glowing yellow-gold luster, an entirely crisp strike and surfaces on the dragon side that are virtually pristine. A can't-miss opportunity for the collector of elite Asian gold coinage! The regnal name Kuang Mu, 'Military Illustriousness,' was assumed by King Kojong, in 1897 and appeared on the last Korean coins struck at Osaka to Japanese specifications. The Won coins show a Japanese-style dragon grasping the Celestial Pearl, unlike the Chinese dragons that only pursued this mythological symbol of wisdom. Ex: Louis E. Eliasberg Collection sold by American Numismatic Rarities, April 2005, Lot #2316. Ex: Lipno Collection Sold by Henry Christensen, November 1961, Lot #422."
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.
Recorded mintage: 5,012.
Specification: 8.33 g, .900 gold, .239 troy oz AGW, Reeded Edge, this specimen 21.4 mm diameter; 8.31 gms.
Catalog reference: Alan D. Craig #52, J-V AD5, Fr-2, KM-1130.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, The August 2018 Philadelphia ANA Auction: World Coins and Selections from the El Dorado Collection of Colombian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2018.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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