Vietnamese coin – HCR58906

Obverse

Inscription:

祥元通寶

Design:

Li script long-arm 寶, 元 in Vietnamese seal script

Reverse

Inscription:

None

Design:

Plain, with indistinct broad inner and outer rims

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)

1.36

Diameter (mm)

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)

Tường Nguyên Thông Bảo

Reference

Hartill GCC : Page 145, Figure 2.845

Note:

Hartill included this ‘long-arm’ Li script bảo type Tường Nguyên Thông Bảo coin 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, somewhat earlier than proposed by Thierry (CMV). This provisional dating has been followed here.

Reference

Thierry CMVS : Page 48, Figure 125

Note:

Thierry states that the design is a hybrid of a Xiang Fu Yuan Bao (read clockwise) with a Tong Bao coin (read crosswise).

Contributors to this coin record

jmairat, mritchie, cgallacher