Joseon Tongbo
1423 ・ bronze ・ 15th century ・ Joseon Dynasty (King Sejong)
obverse
About the photos
The reverse is not shown on this page. Only the obverse is pictured.
Minted in 1423 (the 5th year of King Sejong's reign). The official rate was set at 160 mun per geun of copper. Although well-made, it failed to gain public trust, and minting ceased in 1425. For the next two hundred years, daily payments in Joseon reverted to cloth and rice. This coin, with its well-ordered face, tells the story of why coinage failed to take root.