Item number: A3130

Year: AD 1736-1780

Material: Bronze

Size: 21.5 x 21.5 x 0.3 mm

Weight: 1.25 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This coin, titled An Pháp Nguyên Bảo, was minted during the 18th century, a period in which Vietnam was divided between the Trịnh lords in the north and the Nguyễn lords in the south. At that time, the southern coastal region of Vietnam and adjacent areas of Cambodia along the Gulf of Thailand were under the control of the Hà Tiên polity, a semi-autonomous entity established by Chinese immigrants and nominally subordinate to the Nguyễn regime of Quảng Nam. The coin was issued during the reign of Mạc Thiên Tứ, the second ruler of Hà Tiên.

The coin adopts the square-holed design characteristic of traditional Chinese cash coins, reflecting strong Chinese influence. On the obverse, the inscription is arranged in a clockwise order—top, bottom, right, and left—reading “An Pháp Nguyên Bảo” (安法元寶) in Chinese characters. Notably, the character “Pháp” (法) at the bottom is rendered in seal script, while the remaining three characters are written in regular script. This mixture of calligraphic styles is a distinctive feature commonly found in Vietnamese coinage. The reverse of the coin is plain, with no inscriptions or decorative elements.

After the Qing Empire crossed the Great Wall and replaced the Ming Dynasty, many Han Chinese who refused to live under Manchu rule fled to Southeast Asia to seek a new life. Among them was Mạc Cửu, the founder of the Hà Tiên polity and father of Mạc Thiên Tứ.

In AD 1671, Mạc Cửu, originally from Guangdong, left China and migrated to Cambodia. He gained the favour of the Cambodian king and was granted permission to develop parts of the Mekong Delta. Leading a group of followers, Mạc Cửu transformed the lower Mekong into a thriving commercial port. By AD 1708, he shifted allegiance to the Nguyễn lords based in Huế (then the capital of the southern Vietnamese regime of Đàng Trong, or Quảng Nam), placing his territories under their suzerainty.

In AD 1736, Mạc Thiên Tứ succeeded his father as the ruler of Hà Tiên and continued to develop the polity as a regional hub. He actively engaged in diplomatic relations with neighbouring Southeast Asian states. For instance, he provided refuge to exiled members of the Cambodian royal family during the kingdom’s internal conflicts, as well as to Ayutthayan royals fleeing Burmese invasions. Through these acts of asylum and political engagement, Mạc Thiên Tứ gradually expanded his influence across the region.

In AD 1771, Zheng Zhao (King Taksin of Thonburi), himself of Chinese descent, launched a military campaign against Mạc Thiên Tứ after successfully expelling Burmese forces from Siam. He demanded the extradition of exiled Ayutthayan royals who had sought refuge in Hà Tiên, and subsequently occupied the city.

By AD 1773, under sustained military and diplomatic pressure from the Nguyễn lords of southern Vietnam, Zheng Zhao withdrew his forces from Hà Tiên. Mạc Thiên Tứ soon returned to power, but his restoration was short-lived. When the Nguyễn regime faced a rebellion by the Tây Sơn movement, Mạc Thiên Tứ dispatched troops in support of his Vietnamese allies. However, the joint forces of Mạc Thiên Tứ and the Nguyễn lords were defeated by the Tây Sơn.

Following this defeat, Mạc Thiên Tứ was forced into exile and sought refuge in Siam. In AD 1780, he was betrayed and arrested by Zheng Zhao, who subjected him to imprisonment and torture. To preserve his loyalty to the Nguyễn lords, Mạc Thiên Tứ ultimately chose to commit suicide by poison.

物件編號: A3130

年代: 公元 1736-1780 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 21.5 x 21.5 x 0.3 mm

重量: 1.25 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是公元18世紀，越南正處於「北鄭南阮」分裂割據局面下，比鄰泰國灣的越南南部和柬埔寨沿海一帶，由華僑建立並臣服於廣南阮氏的河仙鎮勢力，第二代統治者鄚天賜在位期間鑄造的「安法元寶」。

錢幣形制為深受中國影響的方孔錢造型。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左的順序，依序鐫刻漢字「安法元寶」，下緣的「法」以篆書表現，其他三個字則是楷書。這種交雜不同的書法字體為越南錢幣常見的特色。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字或圖案。

清帝國入關取代明朝後，許多不甘受到滿人統治的漢人流亡到東南亞展開新生活。鄚天賜的父親，即河仙鎮的開創者鄚玖正是出逃海外的其中一員。公元1671年，祖籍廣東的鄚玖離開中國移居柬埔寨，得到柬埔寨國王的寵信並且獲准開拓湄公河三角洲的特許。鄚玖帶領追隨者將湄公河下游開拓成繁華的商貿港口，並且在公元1708年轉而依附首都在順化的越南廣南阮氏勢力。

公元1736年，鄚天賜接任父親的統治繼續經營河仙鎮，並且積極地參與東南亞鄰國的外交互動，例如，收留柬埔寨王國內戰的流亡皇室和躲避緬甸入侵尋求庇護的阿瑜陀耶王族，藉此一步步擴大自己的影響力。

不過在公元1771年，同樣是華僑出身的鄭昭在驅離佔領泰國的緬軍之後，向鄚天賜發兵索要流亡的阿瑜陀耶王室並且成功佔領河仙鎮。公元1773年，鄭昭在廣南阮氏的軍事和外交壓力下撤出河仙鎮。不過鄚天賜重回河仙鎮不久，又因為廣南阮氏遇到西山勢力的叛亂而出兵援救，最終鄚天賜和廣南阮氏遭到西山勢力擊敗，鄚天賜只能黯然前往泰國尋求鄭昭的庇護。公元1780年，遭到設計的鄚天賜被鄭昭逮捕刑求，最終為保持自己對於廣南阮氏的忠誠飲毒自盡。