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5 Tiền - Tự Đức
| Issuer | Empire of Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Year | 1848-1883 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Reverse description | A sinuous imperial dragon rendered in high relief dominates the field, depicted in frontal aspect with its scaled body coiling dynamically around the central design. The Chinese character 龍 (dragon) appears to the right of the creature in the field. The entire design is contained within a scalloped inner border and a beaded outer rim, consistent with the artistic conventions of the Nguyễn dynasty imperial mint. |
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| Additional information |
Tự Đức reigned longer than any other Nguyễn emperor — 36 years — but his reign was defined by mounting French encroachment, internal rebellions, and a court chronically short of revenue. Gold cash coins of this denomination were not circulation pieces; they functioned as ceremonial and tributary objects, presented at court or exchanged as royal gifts, which explains why survivors tend to appear in grades inconsistent with any real handling history.
The French seizure of Cochinchina began in 1862, mid-reign, effectively fracturing the empire's economic base while this type was still being produced.