1 Văn - Thiên Thánh Nguyên Bảo Unofficial coin

Thiên Thánh Nguyên Bảo was the reign title of Emperor Lý Thái Tông, who ruled Đại Việt from 1028 to 1054. Official issues under this title are among the earliest documented Vietnamese cast coinages, but a parallel market of unofficial — effectively counterfeit or privately cast — pieces circulated alongside them, filling gaps in state supply. This example falls into that category. The casting quality and alloy composition on unofficial pieces varies considerably, as private furnaces worked without mint oversight.