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3 Tiền - Minh Mạng Thông Bảo
| Issuer | Empire of Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Year | 1820-1841 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 32 mm |
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| Obverse description | Four Chinese characters arranged in cruciform reading top-to-bottom, right-to-left around a central solar disc in the field. The inscription reads 明命通寶 (Minh Mạng Thông Bảo), identifying the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng and designating the piece as universal currency. The characters are rendered in regular script (kaishu) with clean, well-defined strokes characteristic of Vietnamese imperial cast coinage. The field is plain, with the solar motif serving as the focal point at the intersection of the four ideograms. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A frontal-facing dragon in high relief occupies the central field, its body coiled symmetrically around a central solar disc. The dragon, a symbol of imperial authority in Vietnamese numismatic tradition, is rendered with detailed scales and outstretched claws in the classic Nguyễn dynasty cast style. A single Chinese character appears to the left and right of the central device, reading 龍文 (Long Văn), denoting 'dragon cash.' The composition is balanced and formally arranged, consistent with imperial Vietnamese coinage of the Minh Mạng reign. |
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| Additional information |
Minh Mạng, the second Nguyễn emperor, was a prolific monetary reformer who standardized Vietnam's silver coinage more aggressively than any predecessor. The 3 tiền denomination sat in the middle of a carefully tiered silver system — above the 1 tiền but below the larger quan-weight pieces — designed to facilitate both domestic trade and the tributary exchange economy with Qing China. Minh Mạng's reign also saw the establishment of the Nội Vụ Phủ foundry system, which brought coin production under tighter imperial oversight than the regional casting operations it replaced.