Geonwon Jungbo (reverse Dongguk)
996 ・ iron ・ 10th century ・ Goryeo (Seongjong)
An iron coin cast in 996 by King Seongjong of Goryeo. While borrowing the style of the Tang Qian Yuan Zhong Bao coin, the two characters for "Dongguk" (Eastern Country) were added to the reverse, proclaiming it as a coin of their own country. It was created in the context of trade with the Khitan, and records of the mold indicate a weight of about 9.4 grams and a diameter of 25.9 mm. The history of cast coinage on the Korean peninsula begins with this single piece.
Diameter 25.9mm