Item number: A3015

Year: AD 1908-1916

Material: Brass

Size: 26.4 x 26.2 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 4.25 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a “Duy Tân Thông Bảo” coin cast in brass during the reign of Emperor Duy Tân, the 11th ruler of the Nguyễn dynasty, who reigned from AD 1908 to 1916. By this time, the Nguyễn emperors in Huế had largely lost real political power and functioned primarily as figureheads under French colonial rule. Nonetheless, to preserve the symbolic dignity of the monarchy, the traditional square-holed cash coins continued to be minted under the imperial era name.

The coin follows the traditional Chinese-influenced square-holed cash coin design. On the obverse, the four Chinese characters “Duy Tân Thông Bảo” (維新通寶) are engraved in regular script, arranged in a clockwise sequence: top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse bears the denomination “十文” (ten văn) inscribed on the left and right sides, indicating its face value.

In AD 1908, the French colonial authorities deposed Emperor Thành Thái for refusing to submit to their control, and installed his eight-year-old fifth son as the new monarch, Emperor Duy Tân. In AD 1912, French official Georges Marie Joseph Mahé proposed excavating gold from the Imperial Citadel in Huế and the tomb of Emperor Tự Đức. Although this plan was ultimately halted by the Governor-General of French Indochina, it deeply offended Duy Tân and intensified his resentment toward French colonial rule.

By AD 1916, taking advantage of France’s distraction during World War I, Duy Tân joined the Việt Nam Quang Phục Hội (Vietnam Restoration League) in a coordinated armed uprising. However, the movement was swiftly suppressed, and Duy Tân was captured by the French. Initially, the colonial authorities considered retaining him on the throne, but Duy Tân refused to continue serving as a puppet emperor under colonial rule. As a result, in November AD 1916, both Duy Tân and his father Thành Thái were exiled to Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where they lived under French supervision.

While in exile on Réunion Island, Emperor Duy Tân refused financial support from the French government, instead earning a living by repairing radios. He later went on to establish a newspaper and became a member of the Freemasons.

In AD 1940, following the occupation of metropolitan France by Nazi Germany, Duy Tân opposed the Vichy regime’s administration of Réunion Island. After the island came under the control of Free France, led by Charles de Gaulle, in AD 1942, Duy Tân joined the Free French forces and was commissioned with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

After the conclusion of World War II, de Gaulle reportedly planned to reinstall Duy Tân in Vietnam to replace the unpopular Emperor Bảo Đại. However, Duy Tân was killed in a plane crash in Central Africa while en route, before this could be realised. The suspicious circumstances surrounding the crash led to widespread speculation, with many suspecting that it may have been an assassination orchestrated by the Việt Minh, under the leadership of Hồ Chí Minh, to prevent the return of a monarch with nationalist appeal.

物件編號: A3015

年代: 公元 1908-1916 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 26.4 x 26.2 x 1.1 mm

重量: 4.25 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是越南阮朝的第十一任統治者維新帝，於公元1908至1916年間，以其使用的年號發行鑄造的「維新通寶」，材質為黃銅。彼時位於順化的阮朝皇帝已經喪失實權，僅僅是作為法國殖民政府的傀儡，不過為了維持皇帝的門面仍有鑄造傳統的方孔錢。

錢幣形制為深受中國影響的方孔錢。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左的順序，依序以漢字楷書書法鐫刻「維新通寶」四字。錢幣背面的左右兩側鐫刻面額為「十文」。

公元1908年，法國殖民當局罷黜不聽其擺佈的成泰帝，改立其年僅8歲的第五子為維新帝。公元1912年，法國官員喬治·瑪麗·約瑟夫·馬埃意圖在順化皇城和嗣德帝的陵寢挖掘黃金，雖然最終遭到法屬印度支那總督的制止，但也使維新帝對於法國人的殖民統治心生反感。公元1916年，趁著法國忙於第一次世界大戰無暇顧及越南之際，維新帝參加越南光復會的武裝起義，然而最終兵敗為法國人逮捕。原先法國人打算繼續維繫維新帝的統治，但是維新帝表示不願再擔任法國人的傀儡。因此公元1916年11月，維新帝和父親成泰帝共同被流放到印度洋上的留尼旺島。

維新帝在留尼旺島上，拒絕來自法國政府的贊助，以修理收音機維持生計，後續還開辦報社和加入共濟會。公元1940年，法國本土遭到納粹德國占領後，維新帝反抗維琪法國對於留尼旺島的統治。公元1942年，戴高樂主導的自由法國控制留尼旺島後，維新帝參加自由法國的軍隊官拜中校。第二次世界大戰結束後，戴高樂原先想派遣維新帝回到越南接替不受歡迎的保大帝。然而維新帝乘坐的運輸機在中非遇到空難，人們普遍懷疑維新帝是否遭到胡志明領導的越盟暗殺。