• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.28
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• pp.89-108
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• 2022

Among about 500,000 characters in metal types in National Museum of Korea, this study conducts a statistical analysis of 62 metal types from the early Joseon Dynasty, including 33 gabinja (甲寅字) types and 29 eulhaeja (乙亥字) Hangeul types by examining the shape, measuring the specific gravity, and identifying the components based on previously-studied Joseon metal types. Among them, 33 gabinja types and 24 eulhaeja types were made of two-component bronze (copper and tin) (Group A), and four eulhaeja types were produced with three-component bronze (copper, tin and lead). (Group B), and one eulhaeja type was created with two-component bronze (copper and tin) with a high tin content (Group C). By comparing with imjinja (壬辰字) types of the late Joseon Dynasty based on multiple statistical analyses of type components, this study confirms that late-Joseon types have low copper content and high zinc and lead content, and therefore it may be possible to distinguish between the types of early and late Joseon Dynasty.