Catalog
4 Tiền - Bao Dai - 2nd Class
| Issuer | Empire of Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926-1945 |
| Type | Fantasy coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field features a stylized solar or floral rosette motif with radiating flame-like petals surrounding a raised central boss, set within a beaded border. Four Chinese characters are arranged in the four quadrants around the central device, reading 保大寳鑑 (Bao Dai Bao Chien), denoting the reign name and imperial seal of Emperor Bao Dai. The overall composition is symmetrical, with bold raised characters in a traditional Vietnamese imperial script style. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a boldly rendered imperial dragon in high relief, shown in dynamic coiling posture occupying the full field of the coin. The dragon, a classic Vietnamese imperial motif, features detailed scales, claws, and a fierce head, surrounded by stylized clouds and waves rendered in low relief. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border consistent with the obverse. The artistic style is consistent with Vietnamese court decorative metalwork of the Nguyen dynasty period. |
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| Additional information |
Bảo Đại ascended the throne in 1926 at age twelve under heavy French oversight, and the coinage issued under his name reflects that arrangement precisely — struck at the Paris Mint, denominated in a system designed around French Indochinese fiscal policy rather than any Vietnamese monetary tradition. The "2nd Class" designation distinguishes these pieces within a quality-tiered minting protocol maintained by the colonial administration.
His abdication in August 1945, under pressure from the Việt Minh, ended the Nguyễn dynasty and halted this coinage permanently. No successor imperial issue was ever produced.