Item number: A4683

Reference number: KM#481

Year: AD 1848-1858

Material: Silver

Size: 22.0 x 8.7 mm

Weight: 3.66 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2026

This is a silver seven mach bar, produced in Annam (present-day Vietnam) during the Tự Đức era of the Nguyễn dynasty.

The silver bar is rectangular in form. The obverse bears the inscription “嗣德年造” (Made during the Tự Đức era), while the reverse is inscribed with the denomination “柒陌” (seven mạch), enclosed within a rectangular border.

Although Vietnam came under Chinese rule at various periods in its history, it also witnessed the rise of numerous indigenous dynasties and regimes. Among them was the Nguyễn dynasty, established in AD 1802 after Nguyễn Phúc Ánh, with French assistance, defeated the Tây Sơn regime.

The Nguyễn dynasty first issued silver ingots under Emperor Gia Long in an effort to restore public confidence in their circulation. At the time, privately cast pieces dating from the Tây Sơn period remained in circulation; many were of inferior quality, being underweight and debased with copper and tin. Acting on the advice of his officials, Gia Long appointed Trần Bình Ngũ as Marquis of Trung Bình and ordered him to inspect all government and privately produced ingots, permitting only those that met the required standards to remain in circulation. He was also instructed to produce ingots of a new standard.

In AD 1813, a standard weighing instrument known as the “Trung Bình Balance” was produced based on the weighing instrument used by the Marquis of Trung Bình. Designed specifically for weighing gold and silver, it was subsequently distributed throughout the realm. Its adoption helped maintain relatively consistent weights among silver ingots despite their being cast by hand.

The development of silver ingots during this period can be divided into three stages: Fine Silver, Official Silver, and Imperial Treasury Silver. Fine Silver was the term used for ingots produced during the Gia Long era, which were issued in three denominations: ten taels, one tael, and five mace.

During the later years of the Gia Long era, the decentralisation of minting authority led to a decline in the fineness of Fine Silver, giving rise to serious abuses. After Emperor Minh Mạng ascended the throne, control over coinage was centralised, and ingots produced under official authority became known as Official Silver. The obverse bears the inscription “明命年造” (Made during the Minh Mạng era), while the reverse is inscribed with “官銀” (Official Silver) and the denomination, enclosed within a square frame and surrounded by geometric patterns. In AD 1822, six values were introduced, ranging from one to five mace and one tael. Historical records refer to this arrangement as the “Six-Denomination System”.

Imperial Treasury Silver emerged when the Imperial Household Department, in carrying out its responsibilities for safekeeping and financial disbursement, recognised the need to recast existing ingots in response to changing circumstances. This type can be identified by the inscriptions “紹治年造” (Made during the Thiệu Trị era) or “嗣德年造” (Made during the Tự Đức era) on the obverse, with “內帑銀” (Imperial Treasury Silver) and the denomination appearing on the reverse. As these pieces continued to serve as a means of storing wealth, higher values, including forty and one hundred taels, were introduced. Lower denominations were also produced for fiscal purposes: five-mace and one-tael pieces appeared under Thiệu Trị, while smaller values, including one and three mace, were issued under Tự Đức to accommodate a wider range of payments.

During the period of Imperial Treasury Silver, a distinctive type of valued silver ingot was introduced under Emperor Tự Đức. These pieces are marked “嗣德年造” (Made during the Tự Đức era) on the obverse and carry one of six values on the reverse: “柒陌” (seven mạch), “一貫” (one quan), “一貫五陌” (one quan and five mạch), “貳貫” (two quan), “貳貫五陌” (two quan and five mạch), or “參貫” (three quan). In AD 1858, inflation began to take hold, after which their production ceased and they were withdrawn from circulation.

Quan and mạch were traditional units of value used in Vietnam, possibly adopted in this context to facilitate the payment of taxes. During the Tự Đức era, one quan was valued at ten mạch, while one mạch was equivalent to sixty white-lead cash.

The Trung Bình Balance was a standard weighing instrument, with one hành weighing approximately 19.25 g, equivalent to a five-mace Fine Silver bar.

物件編號: A4683

參考書目編號: KM#481

年代: 公元 1848-1858 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 22.0 x 8.7 mm

重量: 3.66 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2026

這是一枚安南地區(今越南)阮朝嗣德年間所造之銀錠，其值為七陌。銀錠整體成長方形，正面鑄年號「嗣德」年造，背面為面額「柒陌」，周圍有方框將字包覆。

越南除了有時受到中國王朝的統治外，也有本土王朝的存在，其中阮朝就屬於本土王朝。公元1802年阮福映在法國人的幫助下推翻西山政權，建立了阮朝。

該朝最先鑄嘉隆銀錠，是為了重新取得市場上對銀錠的信任。當時，市面上流通著西山政權期間民間的私鑄品，是摻雜銅錫且重量不足的次級品。嘉隆帝採納大臣的建議，以陳平五為中平侯，令他檢查所有公私銀錠，合格者方可流通；又使其鑄造新式銀錠。

公元1813年，一種稱為「中平衡」的標準衡器，依照中平侯所使用的度量衡標準製成。此衡器專門用於稱量金銀，隨後頒行各地。藉由採用這種標準化衡器，即使銀錠仍以手工澆鑄，其重量仍能維持相對一致。

此朝代銀錠的發展有三階段：精銀、官銀及內帑銀。精銀是嘉隆年間所造之銀錠的稱呼，可分成十兩錠、一兩錠及五錢錠。

嘉隆後期，由於鑄幣權分散，精銀的成色逐漸下降，並引發嚴重弊端。明命帝登基後，將鑄幣權收歸中央，由官方鑄造的銀錠遂稱為「官銀」。其正面鑄有「明命年造」，背面則鑄「官銀」及面額，字樣置於方框之內，四周環繞幾何紋飾。公元1822年，開始鑄造六種面額，包括一錢至五錢及一兩。史書將此制度稱為「六項之制」。

內帑銀是內務府在執行保管及支付開支的任務時，意識到必須把初級銀錠加以改鑄，方能適應新形勢。可藉由其銘文加以辨識：正面鑄有「紹治年造」或「嗣德年造」，背面則為「內帑銀」及面額。由於這類銀錠仍具有儲存財富的功能，因此增鑄包括四十兩及一百兩在內的高面額。另一方面，為滿足財政支出的需要，亦鑄有較低面額；紹治年間有五錢及一兩，嗣德年間則增鑄包括一錢、三錢在內的更小面額，以因應更多樣的支付需求。

在內帑銀階段，嗣德帝時期出現了一種特殊的計值銀錠。這類銀錠正面鑄有「嗣德年造」，背面則標示六種計值之一：「柒陌」、「一貫」、「一貫五陌」、「貳貫」、「貳貫五陌」或「參貫」。公元1858年，通貨膨脹開始加劇，此後這類銀錠停止鑄造，並退出流通。

貫、陌是古代越南的計量方式，應是為了方便臣民繳納賦稅。按照嗣德年間的計價是：一貫為十陌，一陌為六十文白鉛錢。

中平衡為一標準衡器，一衡約重19.25克，即精銀五錢錠。