Hello everyone. I'm curious is anyone collects any Korean coins and if so, if they'd care to share some examples or maybe offer some info about their coins (North, South, etc.)? I'm moving to Korea in a few months and was thinking I'd try to put together a set while there.
Posted this elsewhere already but will help get the ball rolling lol... 1983 5 won coin from South Korea, dragon boat on the reverse:
Nice, thanks Ripley and Troodon. Right now I'm trying to find a LCS near where I'll be living...may have to go Seoul.
I have one or two like Ripley's up there but they are all packed away and difficult to get pics of right now. Most Korean coins that I've come across are South Korean of course but are also only minted in aluminum which takes away from the coins. With that said, if you are gonna be there try to find silver coins and try your best to get North Korea coins IMHO those would be worth the most. Also, keep in mind that Korea is out of my element so my opinion my not even be worth an aluminum token which is normally worth less than an aluminum coin.
Doing a little research show that South Korean coins have been minted I copper and aluminum and current coins being copurnickel. Looks like they don't make commeratives, proofs, or other collectible type coins, thoughI may be wrong. While I'm there I'm going to try to put together a nice set including bills. Getting some North Korean won(s?) would be really cool and some pre WW2 stuff.
Your success will depend on your definition of "Korean coins". Prior to 1888 Korea used the same round cast coins with a square center hole as the majority of their Asian neighbors. After that, while Korea was considered a Japanese "proctectorate", milled bronze and silver coinage resembling the then-current Japanese currency began circulating. (Briefly during that period a few coins were issued under Russian domination.) The Japanese protectorate status continued until 1910, when Japan more-or-less integrated Korea as a prefecture and Japanese coinage circulated. (Koreans were required to adopt Japanese names and use the Japanese language during that period, but they were not, however, considered citizens of Japan, and to this day there are large numbers of ethnic Koreans who are multi-generational residents of Japan but are not accorded full citizenship.) Following World War II Korea obtained its independence, with the Russian occupied north becoming the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the US-occupied south becoming the Republic of Korea.
Great info there, Hontonai. I've been to a few places in the world and I tried to obtain some coins and paper money (this was before I figured out I'm a coin collector) as a cheap souvenir of my travel. I'll be in South Korea for a year and intend to put together something decent in my time there. Just curious, have you ever been there? Maybe you know somewhere reputable to purchase coins from in South Korea?
In the summer of 1954 (a) I wasn't a coin collector, (b) wouldn't have had much time to seek out local coin dealers if I had been, and (c) wouldn't have had the wherewithal to buy coins from my Army enlisted salary.
My one and only coin from North Korea. I have the usual from South. Hard to believe the North Koreans would be interested in FAO.
Cool! Thanks for posting that coin. The obverse design seems strange to me, such an old car. The context of the car is lost on me.
I don't think I can answer that. North Korea produced 4 different 1/2 Chon, 2 different 1 Chon, and a 2 Chon coin for FOA. All have a transportation theme. Ships, trains, airplanes, and antique cars. You have to take in consideration that Kim Jong-il is not exactly considered sane. After all he was the best golfer in the world. He scored a 38 under par the first time he played the game. This was verified by each of his 17 bodyguards. He didn't defecate. He kidnapped short people to rid the country of bad genes. Drank Hennessey cognac at $650 a bottle while the average income of North Koreans was $900. The funny thing is supporting a cause to end world hunger while he starved his own people. Oh! did I mention North Korea has nuclear weapons!!!
Oh very excited now! Thought I'd have to settle for circulated coins. You've been very helpful hontonai, thank you.
I was in Seoul a couple of years ago for the summer and I found a couple of very tiny hole-in-the wall shops in the Namdaemun Shopping District. Couldn't tell you exactly where because that place is a maze. But they are there... Also, if you get a chance, go up to the DMZ and go to Panmunjeom (you have to go on a tour - can't just go there) and they sell some North Korean currency, all notes if I remember correctly. I bought several and can scan them and upload them if you'd like to see.
