Item number: A2728

Year: AD 1908

Material: Silver

Size: 27.3 x 27.3 x 1.8 mm

Weight: 10.1 g

Manufactured by: Incheon Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a silver coin with a denomination of half won, issued during the reign of Emperor Sunjong, the second emperor of the Korean Empire, bearing his era name “Yung-hui” (隆熙).

The obverse of the coin features a beaded circular border, within which a three-clawed flying dragon is depicted grasping a flaming pearl at the centre. Along the outer edge of the beaded circle, the upper margin bears the inscription of the minting year “Year 2 of Yung-hui” (AD 1908) in Chinese characters. The left side is inscribed with the country name “Daehan” (大韓) in Chinese characters, while the right side presents the denomination “반원” (Half Won) in Hangul. The lower margin displays the denomination “HALF WON” in English.

The reverse of the coin bears the denomination “半圜” (Half Won) prominently at the centre in Chinese characters. Flanking the central inscription on both sides are decorative sprigs of hibiscus (mugunghwa, the national flower) and plum blossoms. At the top of the design is a plum blossom, serving as a national emblem of the Korean Empire.

In AD 1902, the Korean Empire introduced a new currency unit, the Won (圜), to replace the older monetary standard of the Yang (兩). This system remained in use until AD 1910, when the Korean Peninsula was annexed by Japan. Emperor Sunjong, whose personal name was Yi Cheok, was the second and final emperor of the Korean Empire. During his reign, Japan gradually usurped Korea’s sovereignty, culminating in the formal annexation of Korea in AD 1910. Thereafter, Sunjong was accorded the status of a member of the Japanese imperial family and remained in that position until his death in AD 1926.

物件編號: A2728

年代: 公元 1908 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 27.3 x 27.3 x 1.8 mm

重量: 10.1 g

製造地: 仁川典局

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚大韓帝國第二任皇帝純宗，以其年號隆熙發行之面額半圜的銀幣。

錢幣正面有一道珠圈，正中央是前爪握著龍珠的一條三爪飛龍。珠圈外圍的上緣以漢字打印發行年份「隆熙二年」(公元1908年)，左側以漢字打印國名「大韓」，右側以韓文打印面額「반원」(半圜)，下緣則以英文標示面額「HALF WON」。

錢幣背面的正中間以漢字標示面額「半圜」，左右兩側以木槿(無窮花) 和李花枝條作為裝飾，正上方則是作為國家象徵的李花。

公元1902年，大韓帝國發行新面額「圜」以取代舊有的計價單位「兩」，直到公元1910年朝鮮半島遭到日本併吞為止。純宗本名為李坧，為大韓帝國第二任也是最後一任皇帝。純宗在位期間，日本逐步吞食韓國的主權，最終在公元1910年接受日本合併韓國的侵略，並且享有日本王室成員的待遇直到公元1926年去世為止。