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1⁄600 Piastre
| Issuer | Protectorate of Tonkin |
|---|---|
| Year | 1905 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1⁄600 Piastre (1⁄600 ICFP) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays four large Chinese characters arranged in the traditional cash coin format around the central square hole: 六分 (liu fen, six parts) above the hole, 通 (tong, universal) to the right, 之一 (zhi yi, of one) below, and 寶 (bao, treasure/currency) to the left. The characters are rendered in regular script (kaishu) and are deeply struck in relief within the flat field, enclosed by a raised outer rim. The overall design mirrors the aesthetic of traditional Vietnamese and Chinese cash coinage while conveying the denomination in the local monetary context. |
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| Additional information |
The 1/600 piastre denomination was created specifically to provide a fractional currency compatible with the Vietnamese cash system, where the sapèque — the traditional cast copper-alloy coin with a square hole — had long anchored small-denomination commerce. French colonial administrators calculated the subdivision against the piastre de commerce to slot into existing market habits without displacing them entirely. Zinc was chosen partly for economy and partly because copper supplies were being prioritized elsewhere in the Indochinese Union's budget.
This is the sole type for Tonkin as a distinct issuing authority; subsequent fractional coinage fell under the broader Indochina series.