Catalog
4 Tiền - Bao Dai
| Issuer | Vietnam, Empire of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926-1945 |
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| Reference(s) | X#M8 |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Reverse description | A large imperial Vietnamese dragon, depicted in sinuous full-body profile facing right, rendered in high sculptural relief and occupying nearly the entire field. The dragon's scaled body coils dynamically, with clawed feet, a horned and maned head, and a flowing tail extending toward the upper field. Flame-like appendages and cloud scrolls accent the composition, all contained within a plain raised rim consistent with the fantasy coinage tradition. |
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| Additional information |
Bảo Đại ascended the throne in 1926 as a French-educated teenager installed under the watchful eye of the colonial administration, and the coinage struck under his name reflected that arrangement — Vietnamese imperial in name, French Indochinese in practice. The X#M8 designation places this piece outside standard circulation issues, classifying it among pattern or medallic emissions rather than everyday currency, which accounts for its relative scarcity in any grade.
His abdication in August 1945, under pressure from the Viet Minh, effectively ended two millennia of Vietnamese imperial rule.