Saturday, April 9, 2011

Relics from the Tomb of King Munyong (1972)


Today's post features two stamps issued in 1972 depicting relics excavated from the tomb of King Munyong. On the left is a gold ornament from the King's crown and on the right are a pair of gold earings. I don't recall exactly when I added these two stamps to my collection; however, I do know that they were included in a larger lot that I purchased from an auction site. The specifics surrounding this issue are:


  • Date of Issue: 10 May 1972
  • Scott Catalogue #: 822 (stamp on left); 821 (stamp on right)
  • Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC) #: C534 (stamp on left); C535 (stamp on right) 
  • Quantity Produced: 1,000,000 each

Below is the press release provided by the South Korean Ministry of Communication at the time of this stamp issue. This information was made available by the Korea Stamp Society on its website.

The Ministry of Communications is issuing two special postage stamps featuring two prominent articles selected from 2,500 items of relics unearthed virtually intact from the tomb of King Munyong of Paekche, who reigned from 501 to 523.
These priceless historical relics were discovered in July 1971 during the excavation of the royal tomb situated at Keumsong-dong (Songsan-ri), Kongju, Chungchong Namdo. Kongju, which was the capital of the Paekche Kingdom for 63 years beginning 475, is the seat of six ancient tombs of Paekche, which have been officially designated together as the National Historical Remains No. 13.
The discovery that brought to light the brilliance of the old Korean culture of nearly 1,500 years ago marked the most remarkable archaeological gain since the liberation in 1945. As such, it has aroused unusual interest among scholars as well as the general public at home and abroad. 
1. Gold Crown Ornament These gold ornament of a crown by King Munyong are elaborately designed in the shape of flowers and leaves, measuring 14,2cm in diameter and 29cm in height. 
2. A Pair of Gold Earrings Also worn by King Munyong, each of these earrings has two pendants one made up of gourd-shaped ornaments and comma-shaped jades, and the other decorated with a heart-shaped gold plate.  

As a child I always dreamed of growing up to be an archaeologist or a sort of treasure hunter in the likes of an Indiana Jones. While I have grown up to be neither, I do have an interest and appreciation for those who spend their time and resources uncovering artifacts from the past. Were it not for the work of archaeologists and others we would not be able to understand and appreciate the rich history of different cultures. I personally do not find much beauty in this particular stamp set; however, I am fascinated by the topic of the stamps and can imagine how exciting it must have been to unearth these priceless treasures! 

Photo of the ornament recovered from King Munyong's Tomb

Photo of the earrings recovered from King Munyong's Tomb


The Tomb of King Munyong was nominated in 1994 for inclusion as a World Heritage Site; however, to date it appears it has not made the list. Below are a couple pictures of the tomb.

Front entrance of King Munyong's Tomb

Inside view of King Munyong's Tomb

I had a lot of fun pulling these stamps out of my stock book this morning and reading up on King Munyong's Tomb. Fun stuff. Until next time...

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