Item number: A3206

Year: AD 1803-1819

Material: Brass

Size: 23.4 x 23.2 x 0.6 mm

Weight: 1.8 g

Manufactured by: Bắc Thành Mint Bereau

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a “Gia Long Thông Bảo” coin issued under Emperor Gia Long of the Nguyễn dynasty, cast in brass. Its statutory weight was five phân and five li (approximately 2.01 grams in modern measurements), while this specimen weighs approximately four phân and six li, remaining within the acceptable margin of minting error.

The coin follows the traditional square-holed round format characteristic of the Sinosphere. The obverse bears the inscription “嘉隆通寶” (Gia Long Thông Bảo) in regular script, read vertically from top to bottom and right to left. The characters are relatively small. In the character “隆”, the “生” component is rendered as “正”, and the “阝” radical is written in a form resembling the character “ㄗ”. In the character “通”, the “辶” radical is written with a dot and vertical stroke rather than a hook, and the final press stroke is flat. In the character “寶”, the “缶” component is rendered as the “尔” form. On the reverse, to the right of the central square hole, there is a single mark formed by an outer intaglio and inner relief dot, commonly referred to as the “right-side sun mark” (背右日紋) or “right-side shadow star” (背右陰星). The surface tone of the brass is noticeably reddish.

Prior to the founding of the nation, Nguyễn Phúc Ánh, in his role as a Nguyễn lord, had already issued the “Gia Hưng Thông Bảo” coinage. Following the establishment of Đại Việt in AD 1802 (the first year of the Gia Long reign), coins were initially cast in the same style as before. In AD 1803 (the second year of Gia Long), the Treasury Mint (Bảo Hóa Cục) was established in Bắc Thành (Northern Citadel), marking the beginning of the casting of “Gia Long Thông Bảo” coins. Under the early monetary policy, individual casting furnaces under the supervision of the Treasury Mint privately purchased copper and cast coins based on officially issued prototypes. The mint would then levy taxes, while deviations in style and the unauthorised installation of furnaces were prohibited. Later, the supply of copper was centralised and provided by the mint, though coin production remained privately operated. In AD 1813 (the twelfth year of Gia Long), the Bảo Tuyền Mint was established and the number of private casting furnaces expanded. In AD 1814 (the thirteenth year of Gia Long), coinage was standardised following Qing dynasty monetary regulations from the Qianlong era, using an alloy composed of 50% red copper, 41.5% white lead (zinc), 6.5% black lead (lead), and 2% tin, producing coins with a reverse-marked “six fen” value. After years of accumulating reserves, the old coinage system was abolished in AD 1817 (the sixteenth year of Gia Long), and a unified currency standard was implemented. Coins with the “生” radical in “隆” written as “正” are generally attributed to the early Gia Long period. In the mid-to-late Gia Long period, the character was more often rendered with the “生” radical, in variant scripts, or with heavy circular rims—features commonly associated with coins cast by the various furnaces under the Bảo Tuyền Mint.

Emperor Gia Long, born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh, was the founding sovereign of the Nguyễn dynasty of Vietnam. He survived the overthrow of the Nguyễn Lords by the Tây Sơn uprising and embarked on a 25-year-long campaign to restore his lineage. After repeated defeats and exile, he sought foreign support, notably from the French missionary Pigneau de Béhaine, who aided him in raising an army and navy and introducing Western military technologies. In AD 1802, he succeeded in defeating the Tây Sơn forces and reunifying Vietnam. He established the Nguyễn dynasty and adopted the regnal title Gia Long, renaming the state “Việt Nam.” His administration emulated Qing China’s bureaucratic model, instituting the Six Ministries and the imperial examination system, thereby centralising power and imposing cautious control over religious practice. Gia Long placed emphasis on educational, military, and fiscal reforms, and secured political legitimacy through tribute missions to the Qing court. He ruled until his death in AD 1820 and is regarded as the founder of Vietnam’s last dynastic regime.

物件編號: A3206

年代: 公元 1803-1819 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 23.4 x 23.2 x 0.6 mm

重量: 1.8 g

製造地: 北城鑄錢局

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚阮朝嘉隆帝所鑄行之「嘉隆通寶」，黃銅質。法重五分五厘(約合今2.01公克)，此錢約重四分六厘，尚在工藝誤差範圍內。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統之方孔圓錢。錢面錢文「嘉隆通寶」楷書，由上而下，由右至左對讀。字體較小，「隆」字「生」旁寫為「正」旁，「阝」旁寫為「ㄗ」；「通」字「辶」旁點與折筆寫為點與豎筆，底捺平筆；「寶」字「缶」旁寫為「尔」旁。錢幕錢穿右側有外陰刻內陽刻之一點，稱「背右日紋」或「背右陰星」。錢質銅色偏紅。

未建國前，阮福映作為阮主，便曾鑄行「嘉興通寶」。大越建國後，嘉隆元年(公元1802年)曾鑄錢如舊。至嘉隆二年(公元1803年)，於北城設寶貨局，始鑄「嘉隆通寶」。早期制度為寶貨局所轄各鑄戶私購銅料按所頒錢樣鑄錢，錢局再收稅，禁止樣式錯誤及私增設爐。後統歸錢局供應銅料，鑄錢仍由私人經營。嘉隆十二年(公元1813年)，增設寶泉局，擴增鑄戶。嘉隆十三年(公元1814年)，按清乾隆年間清錢錢法，以紅銅50%，白鉛(鋅)41.5%，烏鉛(鉛)6.5%，錫2%鑄背「六分」錢。經過長年蓄積儲量後，於嘉隆十六年(公元1817年)盡廢舊錢，統一錢制。「隆」字「生」旁寫為「正」者多來自嘉隆早期，中晚期則多寫為「生」旁、異書、重輪等，多為寶泉局各爐戶的鑄品。

嘉隆帝，名阮福映(Nguyễn Phúc Ánh)是越南阮朝的開國君主，他在西山起義推翻廣南阮主政權後倖存，開始長達二十五年的復國之路。早年多次遭西山軍追擊，他輾轉逃亡並尋求外援，特別依靠法國傳教士皮尼厄(Pigneau de Béhaine)的協助，籌建軍隊與海軍，並引進西方軍事技術。最終於公元1802年擊敗西山軍，統一越南，建立阮朝，自號嘉隆帝，改國號為「越南」。他仿效中國清朝制度，設立六部與科舉，強化中央集權，並對宗教採取審慎政策。嘉隆帝統治期間重視文教、軍事與財政體系的建設，並透過向清朝朝貢以鞏固正統地位。他在位至公元1820年去世，是越南近世封建統一的奠基者。