
The Ministry of Information and Communication of South Korea issued a 2,000-won postage stamp on Nov. 1 to provide added convenience for the users of the special delivery postal system. The new stamp features the 'Gilt-bronze crown excavated from ancient tombs in Shinch'on-ni, Naju,' which had already been designed as National Treasure No. 295 in 1997.
This gilt-bronze crown, 25.5 cm in height, was recovered from the earthenware coffin B in the Paekche tomb No. 9 in Shinch'on-ri, Naju-gun, Chollanam-do around 1917-1918 and presumed to date back to the fifth to sixth century A.D. Consisting of two parts, an inner and an outer crown, it was once worn by Paekche officials. Not only was this ornate crown the first to be discovered of all the gilt-bronze crowns from the Three-Kingdoms period, but it is the only one of the Paekche crowns found intact. It had been preserved in good condition and is extremely valuable in terms of both academic research and artistic expression.
Although it is similar to Shilla gold crowns in basic shape, this crown
is exquisitely decorated with grass-and-flower patterns quite unlike the
design for the Shilla gold crown, which looks like the Chinese ideogram
'ch'ul (?)'. Since relics that are similar to the inner part of the crown
have been found in Iksan, Chollabuk-do, and Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan,
this crown is an important artifact that sheds light on the cultural exchanges
between Japan and Paekche.
| Title | Definitive Postage Stamp (2,000 won) |
| Kind | One kind |
| Date of Issue | November 1, 1999 |
| Quantity | continue to be issued as required |
| Denomination | 2,000 won |
| Design | Gilt-bronze crown from Shinch'on-ni tombs, Naju |
| Stamp No. | 2014 |
| Printing Process | Photogravure |
| Colors | 6 colors |
| Size of Stamp | 26mm x 36mm |
| Image Area | 23mm x 33mm |
| Perforation | 13 |
| Sheet Composition | 10 x 5 |
| Paper | White Unwatermarked |
| Designer | Lee, Gi-seog |
| Printer | Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation |
Original Information from South Korea Ministry of Information and Communication