The Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation unveils three kinds of commemorative coins that feature Korea’s World Heritage sites, at the Bank of Korea Money Museum in Seoul in November 2014.
Three kinds of new commemorative coins that focus on Korea’s cultural assets, treasures that have been listed on UNESCO's World Heritage lists, have now been released to the public.
In November last year, the Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation (KOMSCO) unveiled a set of commemorative coins that are engraved with three of Korea's World Heritage sites.
The three sites are, first, the Andong Hahoe Folk Village in Andong and the Yangdong Village in Gyeongju, both in Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province), second, the Janggyeong Panjeon hall at Haeinsa Temple where the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks are kept, and, lastly, the Namhansanseong Fortress in Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province).
The coins, made of silver and priced at KRW 50,000 each, come in three different shapes: a circle, a square and a triangle.
A set of commemorative coins unveiled by the Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation show off distinct aspects of some of Korea’s World Heritage sites.
The circular coin is inscribed with the two historical villages. On the front, it features a panoramic view of the Andong Hahoe Folk Village as it lays along the S-shaped course of the Nakdonggang River. On the flip side, the tile- and thatch-roofed houses of the Gyeongju Yangdong Village are shown nestled along a hillside.
The square coin shows the Janggyeong Panjeon pavilion at Haeinsa Temple. The coin shows the hall blending in harmony with the surrounding nature of Gayasan Mountain, focusing on its architectural beauty. A look inside the depository hall is carved onto the back of the coin.
The triangular coin features the east gate of the Namhansanseong Fortress on the front side. It also highlights the art of this significant fortification and the beauty of its curves. Meanwhile, the other side focuses on the fortress as described on an ancient map.
Commemorative silver coins inscribed with three of Korea’s World Heritage sites cost KRW 50,000 each and come in three different shapes: circle, square and triangle.
KOMSCO has released such commemorative coins every year since 2010. In 2010, it minted coins marked with characteristics of the Jongmyo Shrine. The 2013 coins featured Changdeokgung Palace and the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. For 2015, the coin maker plans to mint and issue coins that depict historical areas in Gyeongju, dolmen and royal tombs from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: the Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation
jiae5853@korea.kr
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