1960년대 한국 화폐 시장에 대한 생생한 증언

Genuine, Bogus Coins Abound In Korea

 

By Sgt. George H. LaBarre

 

One might think opportunities to become involved with coins, while on a Korean military assignment, would be few and far between. Free time for an Air Force sergeant is a scarce commodity. Somehow I’ve managed to remain quite active in coins amidst the confusion and bleak lighting of an open bey barracks.

Having had little background in Oriental coins, I found myself lost in a complex area of collecting. As a first step, I stocked up on the few readily available books and pamphlets on Korean, Japanese and Chinese coins and paper money.

After making a vain attempt to prepare myself for a buying trip to Seoul’s famous antique market section, “Mary’s Alley”, I found myself confronted by a gracious assortment of shifty and highly skilled businessmen.

My first impression was that of respect. It soon became clear that their sole intent in business was profit. The average Korean coin dealer has little or no appreciation of the historical significance or beauty of his wares.

Even with all the local American military milling about, Korea remains untapped in many areas of collecting.

Chinese and Korean holed cash coins, some quite rare, are available in bulk by the thousands at more than reasonable prices. Choice conditions in these coins are very scarce.

It is rumored most Korean silver coins have been systematically bought up over a period of time by concessions in government-sponsored arcades.

However, choice Korean silver coins seem always to be available whenever a customer is in the market for them.

Of course, prices are a good deal higher under present conditions.

Counterfeiting has been a constant probiem in collecting Korean coins. It is generally known that a multitude of forgeries exist in crowns and most other rare coins of Korea.

Counterfeits in the commoner coins are a constant threat. They include the half won, one yang, large and small 20 chon, and even the small one-fourth yang. Luckily, most of these commoner fakes are of a poorly executed cast process and are easily spotted.

Few collectors are familiar with the charms of Korea. These are very interesting and fun to collect. It may shock a few, but most of these tokens available now in Korea are well executed cast copies. I have spoken with the forger a number of times. He has offered to make up extensive collections of these charms for me at very low prices. Naturally, I have refused. I have found it absolutely impossible to tell an original from one of his forgeries.

It is sad that our fine hobby has to be threatened by such practices. It would be wise for the novice to beware of these charms. Counterfeits in the crowns are very common and prices are high even when sold as counterfeits.

Some are of good quality and are difficult to tag as fakes.

Copies of rare minor coins are offered at fabulous prices. An extremely rare pattern 20 mun piece of 1886 was recently offered to me in uncirculated condition at $25. The dealer pointed out immediately that it was a struck copy made in Hong Kong and that ha had sold two similar pieces previously at $100 per coin as copies!

He hastened to point out that a similar coin had been sold at $950 as a copy by another dealer who was well aware that it was only a well executed forgery. This example is unusual but by no means out of the ordinary in South Korea.

Major errors, patterns and regular issue rarities of Korean coins bring fabulous prices now. They find a ready market among wealthy Japanese and Korean investors and collectors.

Current stateside prices for Korean coins are generally more than reasonable. The collector searching for a fresh, almost unexplored, area of collecting should give due consideration to the coins of Korea.

 

 

우리의 좋은 취미가 그런 관습에 위협을 받아야 한다는 것은 슬픈 일입니다. 초보자는 이런 매력에 주의하는 것이 현명할 것입니다. 크라운 은화의 모조품은 매우 흔하며 모조품으로 판매되어도 가격이 높습니다.

어떤 것들은 품질이 좋고 가짜라고 꼬리표를 붙이기 어렵습니다.

희귀한 코인의 복제품이 엄청난 가격에 팔립니다. 1886년의 극히 희귀한 20문 동화가 최근 25달러에 미사용 상태로 제게 제안되었습니다. 딜러는 홍콩에서 만들어진 복제품이며 이전에 동전 한 개당 100달러에 비슷한 두 개를 판 적이 있다고 곧바로 지적했습니다!

곧바로 그는 잘 만들어진 위조품일 뿐이라는 것을 잘 알고 있는 다른 딜러가 복제품인 비슷한 주화를 950달러에 팔았다고 지적했습니다. 이 예는 흔치 않지만 한국에서 아주 드문 일은 아닙니다.

한국 동전의 에러, 시주화, 희귀 연도는 이제 엄청난 가격을 불러옵니다. 그것들은 부유한 일본과 한국의 투자자와 수집가들 사이에서 준비된 수요를 찾았습니다.

 

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Counterfeit Korea 1888 one warn silver pieces and modern restrikes of a Danish 1800 pattern speciedaler recently appeared in Europe. (Courtesy Severinus A. M. LeLoux, Amsterdam. Netherlands)

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한국의 1888년 일원 은화와 덴마크의 1800년 speciedaler 시주화 가품이 최근(1968년) 유럽에서 보이고 있다.