Vietnamese coin – HCR58894

Obverse

Inscription:

紹平聖寶

Design:

Regular script, but narrow Li script寶 with rectangular shoulders. Crude moulding.

Reverse

Inscription:

None

Design:

Plain, flat but uneven, with excess metal top right and lower left.

Information

Period

Vietnamese

Denomination

1 Đồng (tiền gián)

Material

bronze

Technique

cast

Dating

c. 1540 - c. 1590

Measurements
Acquisition
Additional information
Ticket
References
Credit

Weight (g)

1.91

Diameter (mm)

20.3

Acquisition method

gift

Acquisition collection reference

Kutsuki Masatsuna

Acquisition date

10/5/1922

Source

Indian Institute, Oxford

Acquisition credit

Transferred from the Indian Institute, Oxford, 1922; to them, gifted/bequeathed by Howell Wills.

Transliteration (obverse)

Thiệu Binh Thánh Bảo

Reference

Hartill GCC : Page 146, cf Figure 2.853.

Note:

Hartill (GCC, page 145, Figures 2.853) illustrates one example of this inscription with an angular style of 紹. Thierry (CMVS, fig. 133) illustrates a similar angular 紹example. HCR 58894 is of this general type, but with an enlarged hole cramping the character spacing. Hartill included coins of this inscription among his category: ‘Small Copper – Distinct Calligraphy, Group 1. (“An Phap type”)’. Hartill has reviewed the various hypotheses for the chronology of “An Phap-type” coins advanced by Thierry and others. He proposes (GCC, p. 143) that they were manufactured in North Vietnam under the Mạc between 1540 and 1590. This provisional dating has been followed here.

Contributors to this coin record

jmairat, mritchie, cgallacher