KOMSCO, South Korea's official minting and security printing corporation, introduced the Chiwoo Cheonwang in 2016 with a mintage limited to just 30,000 — a genuinely small debut compared to most series on this site. The design depicts Chiwoo Cheonwang, a legendary war-god figure from Korean mythology, in military dress with spear and shield, struck in 1 oz .999 fine silver. The single most important fact for a new buyer is a legal one: this is officially a bullion medal, not a legal-tender coin, which sets it apart from every other series on this site and carries real implications for how it's categorized and, in some jurisdictions, how it's taxed.
Because this is a medal rather than a coin, a new buyer should treat it as a distinct category from the Eagles, Maple Leafs, or Pandas — the .999 silver content and KOMSCO's reputation as a serious government minting body make it a credible bullion holding, but its legal-tender status (or lack of it) is worth understanding before comparing it directly to a sovereign coin. Its small original mintage has made it a genuine scarcity play among collectors interested in Asian bullion products specifically.
The dates serious Chiwoo Cheonwang collectors specifically chase — the rest of the run trades close to melt value.
First year of issue, with a mintage limited to just 30,000 — depicting Chiwoo Cheonwang, a legendary figure in Korean mythology, in military dress with spear and shield. Unlike every other series on this site, this is officially a bullion medal rather than a legal-tender coin, a meaningful legal and collecting distinction worth understanding before buying.
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Start tracking freeOfficially a medal — unlike every other series on this site, it was not issued with legal-tender coin status, which is a meaningful legal and collecting distinction to understand before buying.
Its 2016 debut was limited to just 30,000 — a genuinely small mintage compared to most series on this site, which has helped sustain collector interest.
KOMSCO, South Korea's official minting and security printing corporation — a government body, which lends it credibility despite its medal rather than coin status.