Bank of Korea mint sets

Started by Verify-12, June 29, 2017, 01:27:58 AM

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Verify-12

Here's another informational article that I wrote on South Korean six-coin mint sets:

http://dokdo-research.com/bankofkoreamintsets.html

Hopefully some of you here find it interesting.

Figleaf

Excellent addition to your site.

I can offer a small piece of (negative) information only. Up to 1984, I was - among other things - the "Korea desk" in the ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands. I was in frequent contact with Korean diplomats and officials. Many of them knew about my hobby (I had some nice old Korean coins to show them). If the diplomats would have had access to the sets, it is quite likely that I would have received one. As it is, I was only vaguely aware of their existence. IIRC, the toys department (that's where you could buy coins and stamps for collectors) of the Lotte department stores in Seoul carried them.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Verify-12

Quote from: Figleaf on July 05, 2017, 07:12:04 PM
Excellent addition to your site.

I can offer a small piece of (negative) information only. Up to 1984, I was - among other things - the "Korea desk" in the ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands. I was in frequent contact with Korean diplomats and officials. Many of them knew about my hobby (I had some nice old Korean coins to show them). If the diplomats would have had access to the sets, it is quite likely that I would have received one. As it is, I was only vaguely aware of their existence. IIRC, the toys department (that's where you could buy coins and stamps for collectors) of the Lotte department stores in Seoul carried them.

Peter

Thanks, Peter!     

Very nice to get information from an insider who was around at this time!  I just really wonder how and where those 1982 proof sets were distributed.  All the Korean numismatic sources that I have heard from so far (the coin catalogs, one editor from O-Sung K&C, a handful of coin shop owners) all say that this 1982 proof set was given only as a gift. Not sold. The information that I have on these sets is only really very accurate from 1987 onwards.  Before that, it seems nobody really knows how these were sold.  The Lotte Dept. store seems like the appropriate venue from which to sell them (at that time), since it was the prestige shopping venue of Seoul, with lots of foreign visitors/shoppers.  Yes, prior to 2001, I really am not 100% certain where any of the mint/gift sets were distributed from.  I'm guessing branches of the Bank of Korea, or like you said, Lotte. 

Cheers.