1752 Korea Joseon Sangpyeong Tongbo 常平通宝 營一 Coin Graded 85
1752 Joseon Korea Sangpyeong Tongbo 常平通寶. This Sangpyeong Tongbo was attributed by Spring Seeking to 1752, during the long reign of King Yeongjo, one of Joseon’s most consequential monarchs. Yeongjo ruled from 1724 to 1776 and sought to stabilize a kingdom shaped by political factionalism, changing markets and growing demand for dependable currency.
HIS STORY TREASURES PRESENTS
1752 Joseon Korea Sangpyeong Tongbo 常平通寶
Eoyeongcheong Royal Military Camp · Reverse 營一
Spring Seeking Certified Grade 85
THE STORY
In eighteenth-century Joseon Korea, a small copper-alloy coin could carry the mark of the government office responsible for its creation.
This Sangpyeong Tongbo was attributed by Spring Seeking to 1752, during the long reign of King Yeongjo, one of Joseon’s most consequential monarchs. Yeongjo ruled from 1724 to 1776 and sought to stabilize a kingdom shaped by political factionalism, changing markets and growing demand for dependable currency.
The inscription 常平通寶—Sangpyeong Tongbo—may be understood as “Always Even Circulating Treasure.” Its name originated with the Sangpyeongcheong, a government stabilization office associated with storing grain during prosperous years and releasing it during shortages. The inscription therefore carried an ideal of economic balance: currency and provisions serving as instruments of public stability.
As Korean trade and urban markets expanded, Sangpyeong Tongbo became the principal cash currency of Joseon. The familiar round form represented heaven, while the square central opening represented earth. Coins could be threaded together for storage and larger transactions.
THE STORY OF THE REVERSE: 營一
What makes this example especially interesting is its reverse inscription:
• 營 — the identifying mark of Eoyeongcheong, the Royal Military Camp or Capital Guard Command
• 一 — “one,” identifying the first casting furnace, series or production division
Eoyeongcheong was one of the important military institutions responsible for protecting the king and the capital. Like several Joseon ministries, regional offices and military commands, it was authorized to cast currency. These reverse marks allowed officials to connect a coin with the authority and production unit responsible for issuing it.
Rather than carrying a portrait or royal emblem, the coin preserves the administrative structure of the Joseon state. The reverse effectively records where the coin entered Korea’s monetary system: a military establishment charged with safeguarding the center of royal government.
A MUSEUM-DOCUMENTED VARIETY
The British Museum collection contains a separate Sangpyeong Tongbo bearing the same reverse arrangement, 營 above the square hole and 一 below it. That museum example is registered as 2005,1111.38 and is likewise attributed to Eoyeongcheong.
The British Museum dates its example to 1742, while Spring Seeking attributes the present certified coin to 1752. Dating within the extensive Sangpyeong Tongbo series can differ between catalogs and grading organizations. Accordingly, this listing presents 1752 as the attribution stated on this coin’s holder.
The museum comparison does not suggest that this coin came from the British Museum or shares any provenance with its collection. It demonstrates that the 營一 configuration is a documented Joseon variety represented in a major institutional numismatic collection.
THE YEAR 1752
In 1752, the twenty-eighth year of King Yeongjo’s reign, Joseon introduced smaller-format Sangpyeong Tongbo coins as demand for currency increased and metal supplies became more constrained. By reducing the amount of metal required for each coin while maintaining its circulating value, the government could expand the money supply and support state finances.
This coin therefore belongs to a period when Joseon currency was evolving alongside the kingdom’s commercial economy. It represents not merely a monetary object, but the relationship between military administration, royal government and everyday trade.
COIN DETAILS
• Country: Korea
• Dynasty: Joseon Dynasty
• Ruler: King Yeongjo
• Holder attribution: 1752
• Coin name: Sangpyeong Tongbo
• Korean: 상평통보
• Chinese characters: 常平通寶
• Denomination: 1 Mun / Cash
• Issuing authority: Eoyeongcheong 御營廳
• Reverse variety: 營一
• Reverse meaning: Eoyeongcheong, furnace or series one
• Material: Copper alloy
• Manufacturing method: Traditionally cast
• Diameter: 24.4 mm
• Thickness: 1.8 mm
• Weight: 5.3 g
CERTIFICATION
• Grading company: Spring Seeking / 觅泉评级
• Assigned grade: 85
• Certification number: MPB262Y7NZ
• Recorded variety: 營一
• Holder attribution: 1752, Joseon Eoyeongcheong
CONDITION
The obverse inscription remains identifiable, while the reverse clearly displays the important 營 and 一 marks. The coin possesses dark brown surfaces accompanied by substantial green mineralization and deposits, giving it a strongly ancient and excavated appearance.
Surface texture, deposits, patina and areas of reduced detail are visible throughout. These characteristics have not been concealed. Please inspect every enlarged photograph carefully, as the photographs form an essential part of the condition description.
The exact certified coin pictured is the item the buyer will receive.
ATTRIBUTION AND DISCLOSURE
This coin has been encapsulated, attributed and graded by Spring Seeking. His Story Treasures has not removed it from the holder or independently altered the grading company’s attribution.
The reference to the British Museum concerns a different coin bearing the same 營一 reverse configuration. It is included solely as historical and numismatic context. This item has no claimed connection, provenance or ownership history involving the British Museum.
WHY COLLECT THIS COIN?
• Historical currency of Joseon Korea
• Attributed to the reign of King Yeongjo
• Distinctive 營一 military-office variety
• Connected to Eoyeongcheong, a royal capital-defense institution
• Same reverse configuration documented in the British Museum collection
• Certified and encapsulated with a searchable identification number
• Rich green mineralization and visible evidence of age
• An accessible artifact from eighteenth-century Korean economic history
PRESERVE A PIECE OF KOREAN HISTORY
This coin once belonged to a monetary system that connected royal institutions, soldiers, merchants and ordinary families throughout Joseon Korea. Its inscription expressed stability; its square opening reflected an ancient understanding of earth and heaven; and its reverse marks recorded the government authority that produced it.
At His Story Treasures, we believe that historical objects deserve to be understood, preserved and passed forward. Every coin is more than metal—it is a surviving witness to the people and institutions of its age.
CHARITABLE COMMITMENT
His Story Treasures donates 10% of net profits to charitable causes. Your purchase helps preserve history while supporting communities and individuals in need.
PRICE
Buy It Now: $59.99
SHIPPING
The certified coin will be securely packed to protect the slab during transportation. Tracking will be provided. The holder pictured in this listing is included.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions before purchasing.
His Story Treasures
Preserving History, One Treasure at a Time