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50 Văn - Tự Đức Bảo Sao
| Issuer | Imperial Mint of Vietnam (Nguyễn Dynasty) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1861-1870 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 27.20 g |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Cast reverse displaying four Chinese characters in regular script arranged around a central square hole in cruciform order. The character 準 (Chuẩn) appears at the top, 文 (Văn) at the bottom, 五 (Ngũ) to the right, and 十 (Thập) to the left, together reading 準五十文 (Chuẩn Ngũ Thập Văn), meaning 'Equal to fifty văn.' The bold, raised legends are set within a plain, flat field bordered by a simple raised rim, characteristic of large-denomination Nguyễn dynasty paper-money substitute coinage. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Tự Đức reign (1848–1883) was among the most turbulent in Nguyễn history — French forces seized Saigon in 1859, and by 1862 the Treaty of Saigon had stripped three southern provinces from the empire entirely. Cash coins of this period were minted under conditions of mounting fiscal stress, with the court simultaneously managing military expenditure and tributary obligations while its revenue base contracted. The 50-văn denomination in brass rather than the traditional zinc or copper alloys reflects pragmatic substitution under supply pressure.