Item number: A3083

Year: AD 1778-1788

Material: Brass

Size: 22.8 x 22.6 x 0.6 mm

Weight: 2.45 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a coin cast intermittently under Emperor Thái Đức, Nguyễn Văn Nhạc, during the Thái Đức era (AD 1778–1788). It bears the inscription “Thái Đức Thông Bảo” and is made of brass. The coin exhibits inferior craftsmanship and is suspected to have been privately minted.

The coin conforms to the traditional square-holed round format characteristic of the Sinosphere. The obverse inscription “Thái Đức Thông Bảo” is rendered in regular script, read from top to bottom and right to left. The characters are relatively small but crudely executed with extremely thick strokes; the inscriptions are blurred and indistinct, likely due to sand casting without subsequent filing. The outer rim is comparatively broad. The reverse side lacks both rim and legend, and remains plain and undecorated.

By the mid-18th century, the Later Lê dynasty continued to reign in name only, with real political power in northern Vietnam held by the Trịnh lords. In the south, the Nguyễn lords ruled de facto over the quasi-autonomous Quảng Nam kingdom from Huế. This state of north–south division had persisted for over two centuries. The prolonged stalemate across the northern and southern fronts led successive Nguyễn rulers to pursue territorial expansion westward and southward—intervening in Cambodia (present-day Cambodia) to the west, and waging campaigns against the Cham and Siamese (present-day Thailand) to the south. Military mobilisation and logistical support for all of these campaigns heavily relied on the Tây Sơn region, which ultimately contributed to the outbreak of rebellion.

The Tây Sơn uprising began in AD 1771, initiated by three brothers—Nguyễn Văn Nhạc, Nguyễn Văn Lữ, and Nguyễn Văn Huệ—in the Tây Sơn region. They rose against the Nguyễn lords of Quảng Nam, denouncing their corruption and incompetence. Backed by seasoned mountain dwellers experienced in warfare, the Tây Sơn forces swiftly captured Quy Nhơn and Quảng Ngãi, undermining the entrenched division between northern and southern Vietnam. In AD 1775, the capital of the Quảng Nam regime, Phú Xuân (modern-day Huế), fell. In AD 1777, Nguyễn Văn Huệ seized Gia Định, resulting in the death of the last Nguyễn lord and the flight of his kinsman, Nguyễn Phúc Ánh. In AD 1778, Nguyễn Văn Nhạc declared himself King of Tây Sơn at Trà Bàn (present-day Quy Nhơn), adopting the era name Thái Đức.

Nguyễn Văn Nhạc’s political ideals were strongly influenced by traditional Confucian values, emphasising propriety and ritual protocol. Compared to his younger brother Nguyễn Văn Huệ, his governance was more conservative, with less success in internal reforms and military administration. Although Nguyễn Văn Nhạc held the nominal position of head of the Tây Sơn regime, the real power over military and governmental affairs resided largely with Nguyễn Văn Huệ.

In AD 1786, Nguyễn Văn Huệ led a successful campaign to destroy the Trịnh regime in the north. This created an imbalance of power and led to tensions between the brothers. In AD 1787, Nguyễn Văn Nhạc proclaimed himself Central Emperor, granting Nguyễn Văn Lữ and Nguyễn Văn Huệ the titles of Eastern Định King and Northern Bình King, respectively. While these appointments were nominally acts of feudal delegation, they effectively formalised a division of territory. Nevertheless, conflict could not be avoided; Nguyễn Văn Huệ at one point launched a military campaign against Quy Nhơn. Although the brothers later reconciled, the damage to their relationship was irreparable.

Subsequently, Nguyễn Văn Nhạc’s authority and influence continued to diminish. He proved increasingly incapable of countering Nguyễn Phúc Ánh’s repeated efforts to restore the Nguyễn dynasty along the coast. In AD 1788, Nguyễn Văn Huệ defeated Qing forces aiding the Lê dynasty and declared himself Emperor Quang Trung in Phú Xuân, thereby effectively sidelining Nguyễn Văn Nhạc. Though Nguyễn Văn Nhạc continued to claim the title of Central Emperor, his role had become largely symbolic.

In AD 1793, Phú Xuân was besieged by naval forces loyal to Nguyễn Phúc Ánh and supported by French volunteers. Nguyễn Quang Toản, son of Nguyễn Văn Huệ, dispatched troops to lift the siege, but they refused to withdraw after succeeding. Humiliated and powerless in the face of this insubordination, Nguyễn Văn Nhạc died in grief.

物件編號: A3083

年代: 公元 1778-1788 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 22.8 x 22.6 x 0.6 mm

重量: 2.45 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚由泰德帝阮文岳，其於年號泰德元年至泰德十年間(公元1778-1788年)，所斷續鑄行之「泰德通寶」，黃銅質，工藝不佳，疑為私鑄。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統之方孔圓錢。錢面錢文「泰德通寶」楷書，由上而下、由右至左對讀。字體較小，但筆畫極粗寫粗糙，字跡則漫漶不清，疑為翻砂未經磨鑢所致。外輪較寬。錢幕無輪無廓，光素無文。

十八世紀中葉，以黎中興朝之黎氏為名義上的皇帝，實則以掌握北方中樞的權臣鄭主；和鎮守順化，實則割據南方廣南國的阮主，所形成的南北分裂之勢，已逾二百年。由於南北戰線的長年僵持，歷代阮主皆向西、南尋求擴張。向西干涉高棉(今柬埔寨)，向南征伐占人與暹羅(今泰國)。而不論北部、西部、南部戰線，皆就近向西山地區索取軍事動員與後勤物資的支援，成為民變爆發的遠因。

西山朝由阮文岳(Nguyễn Văn Nhạc)、阮文侶與阮文惠三兄弟於公元1771年在西山地區起兵，反對廣南阮氏的貪腐與無能。在經年歷戰的山民支持下，迅速佔領歸仁、廣義等地，動搖越南南北分裂的格局。公元1775年，廣南國都城富春(今順化)陷落。公元1777年阮文惠陷嘉定，末代阮主亡，支脈阮福映流亡。公元1778年阮岳於闍槃(今歸仁)稱西山王，改元泰德。阮文岳政治理念受傳統儒學影響較深，重視名分與朝儀，統治風格相較其弟更為保守，對內改革與軍政效率不及阮文惠。雖為西山政權的名義元首，實際軍政大權多掌握於阮文惠手中。公元1786年，阮文惠北上攻滅鄭主。由於權力失衡，兄弟間產生矛盾。公元1787年，阮文岳稱中央皇帝，分封阮文侶與阮文惠為東定王與北平王，名為分封，實則裂土。但無法阻止衝突，阮文惠一度出兵攻打歸仁，雙方雖後來和解，但裂痕難以彌補。此後阮文岳的地位與實權日益衰退，面對阮福映於沿海為復國一再的挑戰逐漸力不從心。公元1788年，阮文惠擊敗清援黎軍，於富春稱光中帝，等同架空阮文岳。阮文岳雖仍自稱中央皇帝，權力卻逐漸被邊緣化。公元1793年，富春遭阮福映水軍與法國志願軍圍攻，阮文惠子阮光纘遣軍解圍，然而據城不走，阮文岳憤死。