2158) "Buddhist Steles", South Korea: Coins Today (Mint) has brought out half Kilogram Silver Bars depicting original exhibits displayed in the Cheongju National Museum in Korea: Year of Bullion Bars issue: 2021:

2158) "Buddhist Steles", South Korea: Coins Today (Mint) has brought out half Kilogram Silver Bars depicting original exhibits displayed in the Cheongju National Museum in Korea: Year of Bullion Bars issue: 2021:

About Buddhist Stele:

Commissioned by pious people, votive steles in Korea were erected in courtyards and public spaces and were essentially stone tablets replete with carved scenes of Buddhist life and myth.

Steles in particular, date back millennia, and there are some extraordinary examples from way back when the first civilisations of the Tigris and the Euphrates were still young.

 A particularly fine example sits in Cheongju National Museum in Korea, one covered in 20 seated Buddha’s on one side, and the other in what is called an "Amitabha Triad", based around the principal Buddha in "Pure Land Buddhism", one known for his good deeds in previous lives, and whose name means “The Buddha of Immeasurable Light and Life”. 

This Buddhist monumental stele discovered at Biamsa Temple in Yeongi-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, features a stone structure in the shape of a rectangular cuboid elaborately carved with Buddhist images and inscriptions on all of its four sides. 

The front face has a carved rectangular border containing an "Amitabha Triad", where the principal Buddha seated on a square pedestal put on a lotus seat, features an oval face and robust build in a stable, comfortable sitting posture.

The hands, displaying a gesture symbolizing Buddha giving a sermon, are comparatively large, showing an influence from the tradition of the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE – 668). 

The robe covers both shoulders and is draped far down to cover almost the entire pedestal while the mandorla the head consists of three concentric circles and lotus design contained in them.

 There are two lions on both sides under the pedestal. The two attending bodhisattvas flanking the Buddha are standing on lotus pedestals which are laid upon the back of the lions. Their faces are heavily damaged but have mandorlas decorated with lotus designs.

There are faces of arhats between the bodhisattvas’ shoulders and the principal Buddha, and beside the bodisattvas two pairs of Vajrapani, divine guardians of Buddha and his law.

 Behind the Buddha and his attendants are two layers of aureoles embellished with flame design and the inner aureole contains five miniature Buddhist images. 

The area above the outer aureole is lowered further by carving to contain the images of the celestial maids called apsara. Each of the monument’s two sides is carved with a dragon head at the lower part and above the animal four musicians playing their instruments each on a lotus pedestal.

The rear face is divided into four tiers each with five miniature Buddhas in seated position and between each two miniature images names and titles of those who were involved in the project of erecting this monument. 

The monument is often connected with the Monumental Stele of Buddha Triad and a Thousand Buddhas with Inscription of “Gyeyu Year” (National Treasure No. 106) in that both are lavishly decorated with elaborate carvings creating solemn beauty and maintain rare ancient artistic elements. 

Experts believe that the monument was set up in 673 after Silla won a series of wars which led to the unification of the three early Korean kingdoms.

The Bullion Half Kilo Silver Bar:

Buddhist Stele Bullion Bar - Obverse and Reverse

This is a reproduction, done in half a kilogram of 0.999 silver, struck to a high relief, and then antique-finished. The artwork has been tidied up, the original having picked up some physical damage over its thirteen centuries of life (image courtesy of the National Museum of Korea), but the mint has done a superb job in imbuing the bar with an aged patina, complete with replicated stone cracks, and plenty of texture.

The Amitabh Stele

The specifications of this Silver Coin are:

Country of issue: South Korea; Date/Year: 2021; Denomination/Face Value: N.A.; Mint: Coins Today; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 500.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 58.90 mm x 87.00 mm; Coin Quality: Antique Finish (AF); Modifications: High Relief; Mintage: 673 pieces..

Links to Korean Coinage & Currency posts on this blog:

1) Coinage & Currency of South Korea: (Part I): Historical Development of Coinage in South Korea

2) Coinage & Currency of South Korea: (Part II): Historical Development of Banknotes

3) PyeongChang 2018 or PyeongChang Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea from 09-25 Fen 2018 and Paralympics from 09-18 March 2018. A 2,000 Won Banknote issued by Bank of Korea on 17.11.2017

4) Jirisan and Bukhansan National Parks, South Korea: Bank of Korea commenced the National Park series with the issue of two silver 30,000 Won coins in 2017

5) Buddhist Steles, South Korea: Coins Today (Mint) has brought out half Kilogram Silver Bars depicting original exhibits displayed in the Cheongju National Museum in Korea: Year of Bullion Bars issue: 2021