• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.24
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• pp.37-54
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• 2020

This paper presents an archaeological interpretation of the results of conservation treatment and scientific analysis of the ancient Chinese bronze coin known as Huo Quan(貨泉) coins excavated from Tomb No. 4 at the Madeung Archaeological Site in Heukcheon-ri, Haenam. Huo Quan coins were issued in China by Wang Mang(王莽) when he founded the short-lived Xin(新) Dynasty and were used in the Samhan(三韓) period in Korea. A total of thirteen Huo Quan coins were excavated from the Madeung Archeological Site with some coins fused to each other. They were classified as clusters A, B, and C. On a coin from the B cluster the classical Chinese characters "貨泉" are visible to the naked eye, but no characters are visually identifiable in the other coins. For conservation treatment, foreign substances attached to the surfaces of the coins were removed, weak materials were reinforced with protective coatings, and fragments were reattached to the main bodies of the coins. Next, Nano CT scanning was conducted to identify the exact number of coins within the clusters and examine the surface condition of the coins. It revealed the inscription "貨泉" on twelve out of thirteen coins. In addition to these coins excavated from Heukcheon-ri, a number of coins were excavated from a tomb in Bokryong-dong, Gwangju. This necessitates an investigation into the possible development of a monetary economy in this region.