1805628

Fine Korean Coin Chest w/ Very Old Calligraphy #1805628

Currency:USD Category:Antiques Start Price:325.00 USD Estimated At:0.00 USD
Fine Korean Coin Chest w/ Very Old Calligraphy #1805628
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A TRULY UNIQUE AND RARE PIECE! DON'T MISS OUT! BID NOW!</em></td>
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This all original and unrestored Ton-kwe (Korean Coin Chest) is a fine 19th Century example of a type of chest that is becoming increasingly rare on the antiques market. This is one of the last of a very few that are not locked up in museums or private collections. Coin chests are highly prized by collectors, as their purpose required that they be the heaviest and most well constructed piece of furniture in the home of an aristocrat. Paper money did not exist in Yi Dynasty Korea, and the coins were of very small denominations. They had to be strung together in large quantities to have any worth, so a strong money box was obviously a necessity. This is a very heavy and impressive authentic antique Korean coin chest. We'd like to share with you a funny quote on Korean money by Mattie Ingold, an American missionary physician working in Chonju in 1898: "If Korean money were proportionately as great in value as it is in weight and clumsiness, the Koreans would be a very wealthy people." 14.5 x 40 x 18 inches, 37 x 102 x 46 cm. Excellent Condition.
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<td>Reference
#: 0052</td>
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<tr><td>Condition:Excellent</td></tr>
<tr><td>Year:19th Century</td></tr>
<tr><td>Country:Korea</td></tr>





<tr><td>Title:Fine Korean Coin Chest w/ Very Old Calligraphy</td></tr>



<tr><td>Location:New York, New York</td></tr>
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