Reference
Note:
HCR 58955 imitates the Xiang Fy Yuan Bao coin of Northern Song Emperor Zhen Zong (998-1022) (Hartill, CCC, Figure 16.52), following the style reasonably closely, including the grass script 元, but with the vertical strokes of 祥 radial rather than vertical above the round hole and with 寶 curving slightly to fit the curving inner rim of the centre hole. The coin could have been copied from a Vietnamese “An Phap type” coin of the same legend, such as Hartill’s GCC P. 146, Figure 2.869, but if that is the case, then the grass script元 is a modification to that design. There is no clear information as to where or when these round hole coins were cast. However there is a consensus that they must have been produced in the 18th or 19th century. That timescale has been adopted here.
Reference
Note:
Thierry (CMV, p. 74, Fig 1121) illustrated a Tường Phù Nguyên Bảo coin, but with some small differences, including the 符 lacking the inverted Y components at the top, as found in HCR 58955. Thierry (CMV, pp. 74-77)) suggested that these round hole coins date from the 18th century and that CMV #1140 was produced in southern Vietnam. However, round-holed coins are absent from the comprehensive collection of Kutsuki Masatsuna (1750-1802) who was actively collecting and acquiring older collections between 1770 and 1800. By contrast several round-holed coins are present in the collection of Christopher Thomas Gardner (1842-1914), who was actively collecting in China in the second half of the 19th century. This is suggestive of a 19th century date of production.
Reference
Note:
Tominaga Masayoshi’s book ‘Anasen Nyumon: Terui Senko (Annam Unofficial Coins), illustrates 15 different coins with round holes and round inner rims, representing 10 different coin inscriptions. Tominaga (pp. 309-310) included these in a section of “Round Hole Hand” (円穿手) coins. Most, but not all of these coins have inscriptions which appear to be copied (with variations) from coins belonging to Hartill’s (GCC, pp. 144-146) ‘Small Copper – Distinct Calligraphy, Group 1. (“An Phap type”)’. There is no clear information as to where or when they were produced. However there is a consensus that they must have been produced in the 18th or 19th century. HCR58955 bears the closest resemblance to Tominaga Masayoshi’s Figure 8, which has inverted Y components at the head of the vertical strokes of 符.
