Vietnam

Kim Thanh Gold Leaves Set

越南

金城金葉組

Item number: A2636

Year: AD 1920-1976

Material: Gold

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a set of “Kim Thanh gold leaves” issued by Kim Thanh Goldsmith, the most renowned and widely circulated bullion dealer in the Indochina Peninsula during a span of over half a century — from the French colonial period to the unification of Vietnam (AD 1920–1976), with its base of operations in Saigon (present-day Ho Chi Minh City).

A complete set of these gold leaves would typically be wrapped in oiled paper, containing two full-sized gold leaves and one leaf cut in half.

Each complete gold leaf weighs approximately 15 grams and has a gold purity of 999.9 fine. The leaf is rectangular in shape, with a circular stamp at each of its four corners, each bearing a pair of symmetrical “T” symbols.

At the centre of the gold leaf, the bullion dealer’s name “KIM THANH” is prominently inscribed in large Roman letters. Below this, the firm’s operational locations are listed in English: “SAIGON”, “HONGKONG”, “HANOI”, and “PNOMPENH”. Further down appears the French inscription “OR PUR”, meaning “pure gold.”

In the lower section of the leaf, the same operational locations are inscribed in Chinese characters: 金邊、香港、西貢、河內. Below that, the dealer’s full name “金城金銀號” is inscribed, followed by the gold purity statement “赤金千足” (pure fine gold).

Gold has played a vital role in the daily lives of the Vietnamese people. Beyond serving as bridal dowries, wedding gifts, and payments for major expenses such as property purchases, gold was also commonly used for everyday small-scale transactions in Vietnam during the first half of the 20th century. Even ordinary townsfolk, when possessing surplus savings, would often purchase gold items—such as Kim Thanh gold leaves—to store at home as a form of personal savings.

During the first half of the 20th century, two gold leaf brands were particularly renowned in Vietnam: the “Lion Brand” (獅子牌) based in Hanoi in the North, and the “Kim Thanh” (金城牌) brand based in Saigon in the South. In AD 1957, the Lion Brand declined following the establishment of a socialist regime in North Vietnam, which imposed strict restrictions on private gold transactions. Meanwhile, operating within capitalist South Vietnam, Kim Thanh continued to thrive, enjoying sustained popularity in the market for its high-quality gold products.

In AD 1976, following the end of the Vietnam War with the successful unification of the South by North Vietnam, the “Kim Thanh” brand was forced to cease operations. At that time, many South Vietnamese refugees, fearing the incoming communist regime and becoming part of the “boat people” exodus, carried Kim Thanh gold leaves with them as life-saving assets while fleeing to places like Australia and North America to begin new lives.

Today, within both Vietnam and the overseas Vietnamese diaspora communities, several goldsmiths and bullion dealers continue to adopt the prestigious “Kim Thanh” name as a brand to produce gold ornaments and bullion products, maintaining its legacy in contemporary craftsmanship and trade.

物件編號: A2636

年代: 公元 1920-1976 年

材質: 黃金

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一組橫跨半個世紀，從法國統治時期至越南統一這段期間 (公元1920至1976年)，以西貢(胡志明市)作為據點在中南半島最為知名和廣泛流通的金城金樓發行之「金城金葉」。一組完整的金葉會以油紙包裹兩片完整的金葉和一片剪裁為一半的金葉。

金葉完整的重量約為15克，含金量為999.9。金葉外觀為長方形，其四個角落各有一個帶有兩個對稱「T」符號的圓形戳記。金葉中間以一行字體較大的英文標示商號「KIM THANH」(金城)，商號下方則是表列金樓的業務範圍「SAIGON」(西貢)、「HONGKONG」(香港)、「HANOI」(河內) 和「PNOMPENH」(金邊)，再下方則是以法文標示的「OR PUR」(純金) 字樣。金葉下半段則先以中文列出業務範圍「金邊、香港、西貢、河內」，再下方是金樓的商號「金城金銀號」和含金量「赤金千足」。

黃金在越南人的日常生活扮演重要角色，除了聘金嫁妝和購買房產等大額開銷，公元20世紀上半葉的越南人在日常生活小額購物也會以黃金進行交易。甚至一般的市井小民手邊有多餘閒錢，亦會購買諸如金城金葉等金飾品，存放在自家作為儲蓄的用途。公元20世紀上半葉的越南有兩家最為知名的金葉，分別是北方河內的「獅子牌」和南方西貢的「金城牌」。公元1957年，「獅子牌」因為社會主義陣營的北越限制民間的黃金交易走向沒落，身處在資本主義陣營南越的「金城牌」業務仍十分興旺，以其高品質的黃金受到市場歡迎。

然而公元1976年，隨著越戰以北越成功統一南方作為終結。「金城牌」也被迫歇業，彼時許多擔心共產政權而成為「船民」出逃的南越難民身上帶著金城今葉作為救命錢前往澳洲和北美洲等地展開新生活。而在現今的越南和海外的越南社群，亦有金樓借用「金城」這個擁有名望的品牌持續打造金飾品。

類似/相同物件 請看:

澳大利亞 國家海事博物館 The Australian National Maritime Museum

https://collections.sea.museum/objects/17510/imitation-of-a-kim-thanh-9999-pure-gold-bar

英國 大英博物館 The British Museum

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_1989-0627-14

更多相關訊息請參考:

https://art-hanoi.com/collection/sycee/kim.html

https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-viet-va-giac-mo-vang-ky-1-nhung-thung-dan-dung-vang-2024051409451245.htm

https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-viet-va-giac-mo-vang-ky-3-mot-thoi-bac-vang-la-su-tu-nam-kim-thanh-20240516113226437.htm