Item number: A322

Year: AD 1898

Material: Copper

Size: 26.0 x 26.0 mm

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

This coin is a 5 Fun bronze coin of the Korean Empire, minted at the Incheon Mint in 2^nd year of Gwang Mu era (AD 1898). In the center of the obverse side of the coin, two dragons are engraved, surrounded by the inscription “大韓·光武二年·5 Fun·오푼”. Both “5 Fun” and “오푼” refer to five Fun. On the reverse side, the central character is “五分” in Chinese characters, with a plum blossom above it, surrounded by a floral wreath.

The first coins in Korea were struck on 4 December AD 1892 but were not released until 20 August AD 1894. This delay was primarily attributed to objections from Yuan Shi Kai, a Chinese warlord, regarding the inclusion of the phrase “Great Korea” on the coins. As a consequence, coins minted in AD 1893 and 1894 did not feature this inscription. It was only after China’s involvement in the Sino-Japanese War and subsequent defeat that coins bearing both “Great Korea” and “Korea” were released.

In AD 1892, a new mint was established in Incheon due to its proximity to the port, leading to the demolition of the old mint in Seoul. Machinery and raw materials were imported from Japan, whereas previously, planchets had been imported from overseas. The Incheon Mint possessed the capability to smelt and produce planchets locally. The technical staff of the mint remained predominantly Japanese. In AD 1893, operational control was transferred from Japan to Korea, but the venture faced challenges primarily due to insufficient technology and operational funds. Moreover, the mint was deemed too small, necessitating expansion.

In AD 1895, the government undertook efforts to expand the Incheon Mint, although these plans were halted in AD 1898 by the King’s decision to relocate the mint closer to the city. Subsequently, in AD 1900, the Incheon Mint was relocated to Yongsan Mint (龍山典圜局), which officially opened on 4 May AD 1900.

物件編號: A322

年代: 公元 1898 年

材料: 銅

尺寸: 26.0 x 26.0 mm

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

此硬幣為大韓帝國五分銅幣，光武二年(公元1898年)鑄於仁川典圜局。硬幣正面中央刻有兩條龍，被銘文「大韓·光武二年·5 Fun·오푼」包圍。「5 Fun」及「오푼」均指五分。背面為中央為漢字五分，上方為梅花，被花環包圍。

韓國首枚硬幣於公元1892年12月4日鑄造完成，但直到公元1894年8月20日才正式發行。此延遲主要因中國軍閥袁世凱對於硬幣上刻有「大韓」一詞表示反對。因此，公元1893年和1894年鑄造的硬幣並未包含此刻字。直到中國參與甲午戰爭並戰敗後，才開始發行刻有「大韓」和「韓國」的硬幣。

公元1892年，仁川設立了一座新的造幣廠，由於其鄰近港口，導致首爾的舊造幣廠被拆除。機器和原材料從日本進口，而之前的鈔幣則是從海外進口的。仁川造幣廠具有熔鑄和製造鈔幣的能力。造幣廠的技術人員主要是日本人。公元1893年，操作控制權從日本轉移到朝鮮，但由於技術和運營資金不足，這一企業面臨著挑戰。此外，該造幣廠被認為過於狹小，需要進行擴建。

公元1895年，政府計劃擴建仁川造幣廠，但這些計劃在公元1898年因為國王決定將造幣廠搬遷至靠近城市的地方而中止。隨後，公元1900年，仁川造幣廠遷至龍山典圜局，並於該年5月4日正式開幕。