Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1 Cash - Minh Đạo Nguyên Bảo
| Issuer | Empire of Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Year | 1042-1043 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| 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 |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Cast copper cash coin of the Vietnamese Lý dynasty, struck during the Minh Đạo era (1042–1043) of Emperor Lý Thái Tông. The obverse presents a central square perforation framed by a raised inner rim, surrounded by four Chinese characters in regular script (kaishu) arranged in the traditional top-bottom-right-left reading order: 明道元寶 (Minh Đạo Nguyên Bảo), each character occupying one of the four cardinal positions around the square hole. The characters are boldly cast in relief against a plain, unadorned field. An outer raised rim encircles the entire face, consistent with standard Vietnamese and Sinitic cash coin typology of the period. The surface exhibits heavy patination with blue-green and reddish-brown corrosion typical of long-buried copper alloy coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is plain and uninscribed, featuring a central square perforation bordered by a raised inner rim and an outer raised rim. The field between the rims is flat and devoid of any legend, symbol, or decorative motif, consistent with standard Vietnamese cash coinage of the Lý dynasty. The surface is heavily encrusted with variegated blue-green and reddish-brown patina, obscuring much of the original cast metal surface. No mint marks or additional devices are present. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Issued under Lý Thái Tông in the third year of the Minh Đạo reign period, this cash coin represents one of the earliest indigenous Vietnamese coinages produced under the Lý dynasty — a dynasty that had only recently consolidated control over Đại Việt following independence from Chinese rule in 939. The Lý court modeled its coinage closely on contemporary Song dynasty issues, a deliberate administrative choice rather than imitation, reflecting the bureaucratic structures the dynasty was actively importing and adapting.
The Toda gap in attribution suggests cataloging uncertainty that persists in the literature. Barker's 5.1 placement positions it among the foundational issues of the series.