Cash Coins Like most other East and Southeast Asian countries, Korea used Chinese currency from ancient times. Korean dynasties began minting their own coins at the time of the Koryo dynasty (918-1392). The earliest of three issues was minted from the late 9th century and called **t'ongbo (ch. Tung Kuo T'ong Bao), but Koryo coins are scarce, suggesting that to the degree that cash was used, Chinese coins were prominent. This was similar to the case in Japan. The suceeding Choson (sometimes called Yi but Koreans generally prefer Choson) dynasty (1392-1910) minted coins in great quantities. Unlike the Chinese dynasties which changed the coin legends with each reign name, the Choson dynasty used only two basic legends. the first was the coin pictured above, the Choson t'ongbo. This was minted from the year 1415. The legend changed in 1633 with the introduction of the Sangp'yong t'ongbo. This coin was minted until 1883. It exists in near infinite varieties with diverse mintmarks and denominations. I have yet to find a good site introducing Korean cash coins. Some books exist but I do not have them available to me so this page may contain a number of errors. If you notice any please contact me at the address in the green field above. 　 The Koryo dynasty lasted from 918-1392. It began by controlling the northern and central portion of the peninsula south of the kingdom of Parhae (Ch. Pohai). To the south were smaller kingdoms of Paekche and Silla but they were defeated and incorporated into Koryo around 935. Parhae fell around this time to the Liao (Khitan) dynasty and Koryo expanded north to cover most of present day Korea. I have read differing accounts of the minting done by the Koryo dynasty. One account, A New History of Korea by Ki-baik Lee (Harvard U. Press, 1984; p 122) says that the first coins were minted in 996, and the Haedong t'ongbo was minted in 1102. The Japanese Nihon Ginkou Chousakyoku ed., Zuroku Nihon no kahei, vol.1 (Tokyo: Touyou Keizai Shinpousha, 1972), p 104 which describes coins imported for use in Japan in the medieval period has all Koryo coins as issued in 1097. This coin is a variant version of the earliest Coin of the Koryo dynasty the **t'ongbo (Ch. Tung Kuo T'ong Bao). This variant used the character for heavy or piled instead of circulating so it is called a (Ch. Tung Kuo Zhong Bao), read top bottom right left and meaning "heavy treasure of the eastern country" refering to Korea. These early coins are copper alloy but all have a distinctive rough, almost ironlike, feel to them and are thick. I have not cleaned them because I do not want to harm the coins. This and the two below were found in Java--possibly imported there during the flourishing of the Majapahit dynasty (1293-1520). 24.5 mm x 1.2 mm