Item number: A2988

Year: AD 1460-1469

Material: Bronze

Size: 20.4 x 20.4 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 1.8 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a “Quang Thuận Thông Bảo” coin issued during the reign of Lê Thánh Tông, the fifth ruler of the Later Lê dynasty of Vietnam. It was minted under his first era name, Quang Thuận.

The coin follows the traditional Chinese style of square-holed cash coins. On the obverse, the inscription “光順通寶” (Quang Thuận Thông Bảo) is engraved in regular script Chinese characters, arranged in a clockwise sequence: top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse is blank, bearing no inscriptions or decorative elements.

During the Quang Thuận era, the economy experienced significant growth, leading to a rising demand for coinage. However, this also gave rise to illicit activities, as unscrupulous individuals began melting down bronze utensils or old coins and mixing in other metals to illegally cast counterfeit currency for personal profit. In response, the royal court issued proclamations prohibiting the use of discarded old coins and the possession of privately cast coins. These counterfeits were of noticeably poor quality and could be easily identified. Officially minted Quang Thuận Thông Bảo coins, by contrast, were well-made, produced in large quantities, and exhibit a wide variety of typological forms.

During the reign of Lê Thánh Tông, domestic political and economic conditions were remarkably stable. He actively promoted the development of legal codes and literature, contributing to the flourishing of Confucian governance and culture. Externally, he pursued aggressive military campaigns, expanding the kingdom’s territory through repeated conquests of Champa to the south and Laos to the west. However, in his private life, Lê Thánh Tông was known for his indulgence in women, which ultimately led to his downfall. According to historical accounts, he fell gravely ill and, during this time, was allegedly harmed by a disgraced empress consort, further worsening his condition. He died at the age of 54.

物件編號: A2988

年代: 公元 1460-1469 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 20.4 x 20.4 x 0.7 mm

重量: 1.8 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚越南後黎朝第五任統治者黎聖宗在位期間，以他使用的第一個年號「光順」發行鑄造的「光順通寶」。

錢幣形制仿效中國的方孔錢造型。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左的順序，依序以楷書書法漢字鐫刻「光順通寶」四字。錢幣背面則是光背，沒有任何文字或圖案。

光順年間的經濟蓬勃發展，對於錢幣的需求量也日益增加。不過這也導致一些不法之徒以熔毀銅器或舊錢幣摻以其他金屬私下鑄幣，以圖牟取暴利。為此朝廷頒布公告禁止廢棄舊銅錢和攜帶私鑄幣，私鑄的品質十分惡劣能輕易辨識。官方鑄造的光順通寶質地良好，產量極大且版型也十分豐富。

黎聖宗在位期間，其國內的政治和經濟局勢十分穩定，並且大力推動法典和文學。對外方面，則不斷征討南方的占婆和西方的寮國大舉擴張疆土。不過在私生活上，黎聖宗沉迷於女色，最終遭致失寵的皇后趁其重病之際對其下手，加劇其病情以54歲之齡駕崩。