Canh Hung coins

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Canh Hung coins

Canh Hung coins were minted in Vietnam 1740-1776 and have more basic variants than any other Annam royal issue, or indeed any official coin of one reign in East Asian history. This was during the reign of King Hien Tong of the Le dynasty and according to Toda, (http://art-hanoi.com/toda/16_.html#92) the king personally had a hand in choosing the characters for the coins. It was a time of countless rebellions and perhaps the disorder of the times is reflected in the coins. Many of the variants substitute other words for "circulating cash" "thongbao." These include words which mean "important cash," "large cash," "giant cash," "eternal cash," "true cash," "central cash," "inner cash," "spring of cash," "fat cash," and "the ultimate in cash." What a coin! Some examples follow. Some of my sub-type descriptions like "happy Canh" are my own invention so don't take them too seriously.

Canh Hung Thong Bao, Formal script, "ma" top Thong This is the basic version of the Canh Hung Thong Bao in formal script. 24 mm x 0.8 mm 景興通宝　マ頭通単点小字
Canh Hung Thong Bao, "ko" top Thong This is the basic version of the Canh Hung Thong Bao in formal script. 24.2 mm x 0.8 mm 景興通宝　コ頭通単点缶宝（間抜け王寳：ー））
Canh Hung Thong Bao, Strange Bao, wide rim This is very like the basic version of the Canh Hung Thong Bao in formal script. However the Bao character is known as a "strange bao" because the part of the character between the roof and the shell is written differently than usual and with the character for "strange". 23.5 mm x 1 mm 景興通宝　コ頭通単点　珍宝
Canh Hung Thong Bao, "ma" top Thong, simplified Hung This is a version of the Canh Hung Thong Bao is mostly formal but the Hung character is strangely simplified. 24.8 mm x 1 mm 景興通宝　マ頭略興大字（山梔子景：ー））
Canh Hung Thong Bao, simplified Bao This coin has the basic legend but the bao character is in the simplified form. 24.4 mm x 1mm 景興通宝　マ頭通王宝
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Kinh This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for "capital." The calligraphy is elegant. I like the patina on the back. 24mmx 1mm 景興通宝　背京
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Trung, above This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for "center," identifying the Board of Public Works as its place of manufacture. 24mmx .8 mm 景興通宝　背中（上）
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Trung, below This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for "center," identifying the Board of Public Works as its place of manufacture. 24mmx .8 mm 景興通宝　背中（下）
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Coung This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for "manufacture," identifying the Board of Public Works as its place of manufacture. 24.5 mmx 1 mm 景興通宝　昂通小字背工
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Coung, two dot Thong, large hole This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for "manufacture," identifying the Board of Public Works as its place of manufacture. This one has two dots on the tsuu character. The hole is large as well. 23 mmx 0.8 mm 景興通宝　背工　重点通　広穿
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Coung, two dot Thong, This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for "manufacture," identifying the Board of Public Works as its place of manufacture. This one has two dots on the tsuu character. Unlike the one above the hole on this one is normal size. this one is an extremely fine example. 23 mmx 1.1 mm 景興通宝　背工　重点通
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse *(Ch� in Japanese) This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for 23.5 mmx 1 mm 景興通宝　コ頭通単点　背吊
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Nhat "one" This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for "one". It is likely in reference to the value of the coin rather than a mint. 23 mmx 1 mm 景興通宝　マ頭通単点　背一
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Son Tay This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the characters Son Tay a former name for a province in Tunquin. 24 mmx 1 mm 景興通宝　マ頭通重点　背山西
Canh Hung Thong Bao, reverse Son Nam This coin has the basic legend but on the back it has the character for Son Nam, a former name for a province in Tunquin. I like the quirky and bold style of the characters on this coin, especially those on the back written as if conforming to the surrounding circle. 22.5 mmx 1 mm 景興通宝　マ頭通重点　背山南
Canh Hung Thong Bao This coin has the basic legend but is small and thin like a floater coin. It may be a privately minted cash. The brassy quality is like 19th century coins. 22mmx.5mm 景興通宝手類か？（コノハ寳：ー））
Canh Hung Thong Bao, "li" script Canh Thong, large characters This is in the li script. Note how the Bao character is written with two "kings." Note the casting slippage of the back side. 24.2 mm x 1 mm 景興通宝隷書大字
Canh Hung Thong Bao, "li" script Canh Thong, tight characters This is in the li script but smaller tight characters. Note how the Bao character is written with two "kings." 24.1 mm x 1 mm 景興通宝隷書縮字
Canh Hung Thong Bao, "li" script Canh Thong, small characters This is mostly in the li script. Note how the Bao character is written with two "kings. Note also the strange shape of the Canh character, how it looks a bit like the character for "happy." This latter is not a type name but I like this coin so much I'll call it that. 24 mm x .8 mm 景興通宝隷興小字　（楽景：ー））
Canh Hung Thong Bao, rounded Seal script, small character This has the same words as the one above but written completely in the seal script in a rounded style . This Canh is all slumped and sad. Just the opposite of the one above. 景興通宝篆書圓書小字
Canh Hung Thong Bao, rounded seal script, small character This is the same as above but with a thicker rim on the front. 24.5 mm x 1 mm 景興通宝篆書圓書小字
Can Hung Thai Bao This is the "large cash" variant. Compare with the one below to see that the difference between fat and large is but a little dot underneath. 23.5 mm x 1 mm 景興大宝
Canh Hung Thai Bao This is the "fat cash" variant 22.9 mm x 1 mm 景興太宝
Canh Hung Noi Bao, simplified Bao This is the "inner cash" variant but the "inner" character looks a bit like a cross between "inner" and "decreed" 23 mm x 1 mm 景興内宝　略宝
Canh Hung Chanh Bao This is the "correct cash" variant. 23 mm x 0.9 mm 景興正宝
Canh Hung Vinh Bao This is the "eternal cash" variant. 24 mm x 1 mm 景興永宝
Canh Hung Trung Bao This is the "heavy cash" variant. 24.6 mm x 1 mm 景興重宝
Canh Hung Cu Bao This is the "giant cash" variant. 24.5 mmx.8mm 景興巨宝
Canh Hung Cu Bao This is also the "giant cash" variant, but a hair smaller and of different metal content. 24mmx.8mm 景興巨宝
Canh Hung Vinh Bao This is the "spring of cash" variant. This coin is made of almost pure copper, but is not well manufactured. 24mmx1mm 景興泉宝手類か？
Canh Hung Vinh Bao, simplified Hung This is the "spring of cash" variant as the one above. The Hung character however is the simplified form. This is a very nice example. 24.5 mm x 0.9 mm 景興泉宝　略興