This is a bronze coin cast during the reign of Emperor Lê Hiển Tông of the Later Lê dynasty, bearing the reign-title inscription “Cảnh Hưng Thông Bảo.”
This is a bronze coin cast during the reign of Emperor Lê Hiển Tông of the Later Lê dynasty, bearing the reign-title inscription “Cảnh Hưng Thông Bảo.” The coin follows the traditional Han cultural form of a round coin with a square central hole. The obverse features the inscription “Cảnh Hưng Thông Bảo” in regular script, read vertically from top to bottom and from right to left. In the character “Cảnh,” the hook stroke of the “small” radical is extended; the character “Hưng” appears worn and is relatively narrow, with the final stroke of the central horizontal line rising at the end, a feature referred to as “jumping Hưng.” In the character “Thông,” the “甬” radical begins with a square-shaped stroke, known as “square-headed Thông,” while the “辶” radical is rendered with a vertical stroke instead of the standard angular form. The “缶” radical in the character “Bảo” is written in the simplified form “尔.” The characters are relatively large in size. All four characters are connected across the central hole, and the characters “Hưng,” “Thông,” and “Bảo” are joined to the rim. The reverse of the coin is plain and uninscribed, with the outer rim slightly off-centre, tilted toward the upper left.
The reign title Cảnh Hưng was used for a duration of 47 years, during which coins such as the “Cảnh Hưng Thông Bảo” underwent numerous stylistic variations. Amidst increasing political instability and the decline of royal authority during the Cảnh Hưng period, minting was decentralized, leading to the emergence of coins with various alternative inscriptions such as “Thông Bảo,” “Cự Bảo,” “Tuyền Bảo,” “Thái Bảo,” and “Trung Bảo.” While these terms were at times used for rhetorical or promotional purposes, some also served to indicate the specific minting units. In the fourteenth year of the Cảnh Hưng era (AD 1753), Emperor Lê Hiển Tông issued a decree prohibiting private minting and centralized coin production in the capital, temporarily curbing the overproduction of currency. However, in the twenty-first year of the reign (AD 1760), he was compelled to acknowledge the autonomy of regional mints, formally lifting the ban on coin production. From that point onward, coin inscriptions typically included place names to designate responsible minting authorities and to ensure quality oversight.
Emperor Lê Hiển Tông, personal name Lê Duy Diêu, was the longest-reigning sovereign of the Later Lê dynasty. Upon ascending the throne, he initially maintained a harmonious relationship with the powerful regent Trịnh Sâm. However, after Trịnh Sâm’s death, his son Trịnh Sâm (also known as Trịnh Cán or Trịnh Tông depending on historical context) grew jealous of Crown Prince Lê Duy Vĩ, the emperor’s son. This jealousy led to deliberate marginalisation of the emperor and ultimately compelled him to depose the crown prince. Subsequently, Crown Prince Lê Duy Vĩ was executed.
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.
