1 Văn - Chính Long seal script, private issue

Chính Long Thông Bảo coinage was introduced under Emperor Lý Anh Tông in 1174, continuing the Lý dynasty's practice of casting indigenous Vietnamese cash coins to reduce dependence on imported Chinese currency. Private casting — unauthorized production by individuals or workshops outside imperial control — was endemic throughout the Lý period, and this piece falls into that category. The casting quality and weight variance on private issues tend to run noticeably below the official output of the imperial foundries at Thăng Long.