This is a bronze coin issued by Trần Thái Tông, the founding emperor of the Trần dynasty in Vietnam, bearing the inscription “Nguyên Phong Thông Bảo” (元豐通寶), which corresponds to the third reign title used during his rule.
The coin follows the typical Chinese-style square-holed cash format. On the obverse, the inscription “Nguyên Phong Thông Bảo” (元豐通寶) is engraved in a clockwise sequence using Chinese regular script. The reverse side of the coin is plain, bearing no additional designs or inscriptions.
Emperor Trần Thái Tông adopted a total of three era names during his reign. The last of these, “Nguyên Phong” (元豐), was in use from AD 1251 to 1258. Notably, this era name is identical to that used by Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song dynasty, who had employed the name Yuanfeng (元豐) during the period AD 1078 to 1085. This duplication reflects the broader cultural and political influence that Chinese dynastic practises exerted on Đại Việt (Vietnam) during this period.
Trần Thái Tông (Trần Cảnh), the founding emperor of Vietnam’s Trần dynasty, was installed on the throne through the political manoeuvring of his uncle, Trần Thủ Độ, who served as a high-ranking official and was related by marriage to the ruling Lý dynasty. Trần Thủ Độ initially orchestrated the enthronement of the six-year-old Lý Chiêu Hoàng, the last sovereign of the Lý dynasty and its only female ruler, then arranged her marriage to the equally young Trần Cảnh under the pretence of mutual affection. In AD 1225, Lý Chiêu Hoàng was compelled to abdicate in favour of her husband, marking the formal end of the Lý dynasty and the beginning of the Trần dynasty.
