Item number: A2998

Year: AD 1740-1786

Material: Bronze

Size: 23.4 x 22.8 x 0.6 mm

Weight: 2.35 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a “Cảnh Hưng Chí Bảo” coin cast in bronze during the reign of Lê Hiển Tông, the 24th ruler of the Later Lê dynasty. The inscription reflects his reign title, “Cảnh Hưng”, which was in use for an extended period of 47 years. Coins issued under this era exhibit a wide variety of complex typologies, including inscriptions such as Thông Bảo (通寶), Cự Bảo (巨寶), Tuyền Bảo (泉寶), Thái Bảo (太寶), and Trung Bảo (中寶). These designations were not only used to embellish the perceived value or importance of the coins, but in some cases also served to indicate the minting authority or production unit responsible for their issuance.

The coin adopts the traditional Chinese-style square-holed cash coin design, with a chipped segment on the upper portion. On the obverse, the inscription “Cảnh Hưng Chí Bảo” (景興至寶) is engraved in regular script Chinese characters, arranged in the sequence of top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse is plain, with no inscriptions or decorative elements.

The term “Chí Bảo” (至寶) conveys meanings such as “supreme treasure” or “of utmost value and utility.” Due to the right-side dot of the character “至” being visually connected to the top horizontal stroke, it is sometimes mistakenly read as “Toàn Bảo” (全寶).

Lê Hiển Tông was the longest-reigning emperor of the Later Lê dynasty. At the beginning of his reign, he maintained a cordial relationship with the powerful court official Trịnh Cương, who effectively controlled the government. However, after Trịnh Cương’s death, his son Trịnh Sâm, driven by jealousy toward Crown Prince Lê Duy Vĩ, deliberately distanced himself from the emperor and ultimately forced Lê Hiển Tông to strip the crown prince of his title. In the ensuing power struggle, Lê Duy Vĩ was eventually executed on Trịnh Sâm’s orders.

In AD 1786, the final year of Lê Hiển Tông’s reign, the rising Tây Sơn forces from southern Vietnam, led by Nguyễn Huệ, launched a military campaign against the Trịnh lords under the pretext of “supporting the Lê and eliminating the Trịnh” (phù Lê diệt Trịnh). The Trịnh forces suffered a decisive defeat and effectively disappeared from the political stage.

At that time, the ailing Lê Hiển Tông, though outwardly expressing approval of Nguyễn Huệ’s victory over the Trịnh, privately harboured deep concern about the growing power of the Tây Sơn. On his deathbed, he warned his successor—his imperial grandson—to remain vigilant toward the Tây Sơn movement.

During the Revival Lê Dynasty period, real power in northern Vietnam was held by the Trịnh lords, while the southern regions were controlled by the rival Nguyễn clan. This division gave rise to the prolonged conflict known as the Trịnh–Nguyễn War, often referred to by historians as Vietnam’s Southern and Northern Dynasties (Nam Bắc triều) period. The country remained politically fragmented for an extended time.

Despite the internal division, the Revival Lê Dynasty witnessed notable developments in culture, the arts, and the economy. Confucianism and the imperial examination system continued to flourish, contributing to what is considered one of the golden ages of Vietnamese cultural history.

In AD 1788, the Tây Sơn uprising overthrew the Lê regime, and the following year, Emperor Lê Chiêu Thống fled to Qing China. This marked the formal end of the Revival Lê Dynasty.

物件編號: A2998

年代: 公元 1740-1786 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 23.4 x 22.8 x 0.6 mm

重量: 2.35 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是後黎朝第二十四任統治者黎顯宗在位期間，以其年號鑄造的「景興至寶」，材質為青銅。景興該年號使用的時間長達47年，錢幣擁有許多複雜的版式，諸如：通寶、巨寶、泉寶、太寶、中寶，其稱謂用來形容和誇飾錢幣之外，部分則是標示鑄造單位。

錢幣形制仿效中國的方孔錢，上半部有一個缺角。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左順序，依序以漢字楷書書法鐫刻「景興至寶」。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何圖案或文字。

「至寶」意指「至高無上」和「極其有用」等意思。由於「至」右邊的一點跟最上方的一橫相連，故有人會誤解為「全寶」。

黎顯宗為後黎朝在位期間最久的皇帝，其繼位之初和掌握國政的權臣鄭楹保持良好的互動。然而鄭楹逝世之後，其子鄭森由於忌妒黎顯宗的太子黎維禕，故意冷落黎顯宗甚至迫使黎顯宗廢除黎維禕的太子身分，後續更將黎維禕殺害。

公元1786年，黎顯宗在位的最後一年，從越南南部起事的西山勢力阮文惠以「扶黎滅鄭」為藉口攻打鄭氏家族，鄭氏大敗就此退出歷史的舞台。此時病重的黎顯宗對於阮文惠消滅鄭氏表達外喜而內憂，臨終之際告訴繼承人皇孫要注意西山的勢力。

黎中興朝這一時期，鄭氏家族實際統治北越，南方則由阮氏政權控制，形成「鄭阮紛爭」，或稱「南北朝」局勢，國家處於長期分裂。儘管如此，黎中興朝在文化、藝術、經濟方面仍有一定發展，儒學、科舉制度繼續推行，成為越南文化的黃金時代之一。公元1788年西山起義軍推翻黎朝，次年黎昭統帝出逃清朝，黎中興朝宣告終結。