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1 Cash - Thánh Nguyên Thông Bảo
| Issuer | Hồ Dynasty (Đại Ngu) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1400 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Four Chinese clerical-script ideograms are arranged in cruciform fashion around a central square perforation, read in the traditional sequence top, right, bottom, left: 聖 (Thánh), 元 (Nguyên), 通 (Thông), 寶 (Bảo). Each character is rendered in bold, well-spaced relief within a plain inner ring. A raised rim encircles the outer edge of the coin. The casting is typical of Vietnamese cash coinage of the early 15th century, with surfaces now displaying a rich patina of green and brown cuprite. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is completely plain and uninscribed, featuring only the central square perforation surrounded by a smooth, flat field bounded by a simple raised rim. The surface exhibits extensive green and brown patination consistent with prolonged burial, and retains the slightly convex profile characteristic of Vietnamese cast cash coinage of this period. |
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| Additional information |
The Hồ Dynasty lasted barely seven years. Hồ Quý Ly seized power in 1400 by forcing the abdication of the last Trần emperor, renamed the kingdom Đại Ngu, and was himself captured by Ming invaders in 1407 — after which Vietnam entered two decades of direct Chinese occupation. Coins of this dynasty are among the rarest survivors of Vietnamese numismatics precisely because the issuing authority collapsed so completely.
Toda's attribution at #30 reflects how thinly documented these issues remain in Western scholarship.