User:Donald Trung/Kai Yuan Tong Bao

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{{Infobox coin | Denomination = Kaiyuan Tongbao<br>(開元通寶) | Country = [[Tang dynasty]]<br>([[China]]){{efn|Kaiyuan Tongbao coins were also produced in [[Sogdia]].}} | Value = 1 ''[[Chinese cash (currency unit)|wén]]'' | Unit = | Mass_g = | Diameter_mm = | Diameter_inch = | Diameter_special =  | Thickness_mm = | Thickness_inch = | Thickness_special =  | Composition = [[Bronze]],{{efn|The majority of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins were made from bronze.}} [[Lead]], [[Zinc|"white bronze"]], [[Iron]],{{efn|Iron Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins were predominantly cast in [[Sichuan]] where there had been a shortage of copper. There is evidence that iron Kaiyuan Tongbao coins also circulated in [[Hebei]] under the Tang dynasty.}} [[Silver]], or [[Gold]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/Xian/Shaanxi_History/pages/239_History_Museum.html|title= Tang Dynasty 唐代 Gold Coin 金开元通宝.|date=March 2010|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Marilyn Shea ([[University of Maine at Farmington]])|language=en}}</ref> | Years of Minting = 621–907 | Mintage =  | Circulation = | Catalog Number =  | Obverse = KaiyuanTongbao.png | Obverse Design = Kaiyuan Tongbao (開元通寶) | Obverse Designer = [[Ouyang Xun]] (歐陽詢) | Obverse Design Date = | Obverse Discontinued = | Reverse = | Reverse Design = Usually blank, sometimes with nail marks, [[crescent]]s, dots, or clouds, while [[Kaiyuan Tongbao#Huichang era Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins|"Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao"]] cash coins tend to have [[mint mark]]s (see below). | Reverse Designer = | Reverse Design Date = | Reverse Discontinued = }} The '''Kaiyuan Tongbao''' ({{zh|t=開元通寶|s=開元通宝| hp=kāiyuán tōng bǎo| l=Circulating treasure from the inauguration of a new [[Chinese era name|epoch]]| links=yes}}), sometimes [[Romanization of Chinese|romanised]] as ''Kai Yuan Tong Bao'', was a [[Tang dynasty]] [[Cash (Chinese coin)|cash coin]] that was produced from 621 under the reign of [[Emperor Gaozu of Tang|Emperor Gaozu]] and remained in production for most of the Tang dynasty until 907.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/roberts/coins/Chinese%20coins/Tangetc.html|title=Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the subsequent Ten States Five Kingdoms era (907-960 or so).|date=24 October 2003|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Luke Roberts at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara|Department of History - University of California at Santa Barbara]] |language=en}}</ref> The Kaiyuan Tongbao was notably the first cash coin to use the inscription ''tōng bǎo'' (通寶) and an era title as opposed to have an inscription based on the weight of the coin as was the case with [[Ban Liang]], Wu Zhu and many other earlier types of Chinese cash coins.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} The Kaiyuan Tongbao's [[Chinese calligraphy|calligraphy]] and inscription inspired subsequent [[Japanese mon (currency)|Japanese]], [[Korean mun|Korean]], [[Ryukyuan mon|Ryūkyūan]], and [[Vietnamese cash]] coins and became the standard until [[Bảo Đại Thông Bảo|the last cash coin]] to use the inscription "通寶" was cast until the early 1940s in [[French Indochina]]. == History == {{Main|Ancient Chinese coinage}} Under the Tang dynasty the earlier Wu Zhu coins of the [[Sui dynasty]] would remain the standard currency, but during the fourth year of the Wu De (武德) period (or 621 of the [[Gregorian calendar]]) Emperor Gaozu decreed that the Kaiyuan Tongbao coin be cast with a strictly enforced standard weight of {{frac|10}} ''[[Tael|Liǎng]]'' (兩).<ref>Li Xueqin (李學勤), Lü Wenyu (呂文鬰) (1996). Siku da cidian (四庫大辭典), vol. 2, p. 1859. Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe. (in [[Mandarin Chinese]]).</ref><ref>Wang Yi (王益), Bai Qinxian (白欽先) (ed. 2000). Dangdai jiinrong cidian (當代金融辭典), Beijing: Zhongguo jingji chubanshe, p. 808. (in [[Mandarin Chinese]])</ref> [[File:Cast Chinese coins (330 B.C. - 1912 A.D.).jpg|thumb|left|The Kaiyuan Tongbao set the standard for the next thousand years of cast Chinese coinages until the early Republic of China.]] Unlike earlier Chinese cash coins which had their legends based on their weight, the Kaiyuan Tongbao was notably the first Chinese cash coin to use the ''tōng bǎo'' (通寶) inscription and simultaneously inspired the ''yuán bǎo'' (元寶) inscription.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cointalk.com/threads/one-of-asias-most-influential-coins-tang-dynasty-kai-yuan-tong-bao.274045/|title= One of Asia's most influential coins - Tang Dynasty Kai Yuan Tong Bao.|date=31 January 2016|accessdate=6 June 2018|work= Loong Siew (CoinTalk).|language=en}}</ref> The reason that the Kaiyuan Tongbao also inspired the ''yuán bǎo'' legend is because the Chinese people themselves had trouble figuring out the correct character order, as the inscription is read in what was referred to as the [[:File:Tien co.PNG|"standard order"]] (top-bottom-right-left) some people accidentally read it in the wrong order as they had assumed that the inscription was read clockwise as Kaitong Yuanbao (開通元寶), this was also because rather than having the first two characters spell out the period title (which was Wu De when the Kaiyuan Tongbao was introduced), they had a different inscription. However this mistake in how the legend was read inspired the [[Northwest China|Northwest Chinese]] rebel [[Shi Siming]] to cast his own cash coins with the inscription Shuntian Yuanbao (順天元寶, ''shùn tiān yuán bǎo'') cash coins first issued in [[Luoyang]] in 759, this coin however does have a clockwise inscription. Another term that was used to denote "the currency type" in Chinese coin inscriptions was ''zhòng bǎo'' (重寶) which could be translated as "heavy currency". The first cash coin to have this inscription was the Qianyuan Zhongbao (乾元重寶) which was first produced in the year 759. The terms ''yuán bǎo'' (元寶) and ''zhòng bǎo'' (重寶) which were both established during a 138 year period of the Tang dynasty would continue to be used on Chinese coins to the very end of the [[Qing dynasty]] in 1911.<ref>Anything Anywhere. [http://www.anythinganywhere.com/commerce/coins/coinpics/chin-tang.htm CHINA, coins of the Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD] by Bob Reis. Retrieved: 09 June 2018.</ref><ref>Calgary Coin & Antique Gallery - [http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/china/china4.htm MEDIEVAL CHINESE COINS - THE SUI, T'ANG AND POST TANG DYNASTIES] by Robert Kokotailo. Retrieved: 09 June 2018.</ref><ref name="Primaltrek-Kaitongyuanbao">{{cite web|url=http://primaltrek.com/guide.html#san_xian|title= Guide to Reading Chinese Characters (Symbols) on Charms § Origin of Tong Bao, Yuan Bao and Zhong Bao - There is an interesting story regarding the origin of the terms "tong bao" (通寶), "yuan bao" (元寶) and "zhong bao" (重寶) which were used in inscriptions (legends) to mean "currency" on Chinese coins for about 1,300 years. I relate the story here because it illustrates that even native Chinese can have difficulty in understanding how Chinese coin inscriptions should be read.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref>Numis' Numismatic Encyclopedia. [https://en.numista.com/numisdoc/a-reference-list-of-5000-years-of-chinese-coinage-97.html A reference list of 5000 years of Chinese coinage. (Numista)] Written on December 9, 2012 • Last edit: June 13, 2013 Retrieved: 09 June 2018.</ref> While the term ''tōng bǎo'' (通寶) was even used longer with the last Chinese cash coin, the Minguo Tongbao (民國通寶) being produced in [[Dongchuan District|Dongchuan]], [[Yunnan]] during the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|early Republic of China period]]. Another important difference with the inscription of the Kaiyuan Tongbao compared to earlier Chinese cash coins was that it was not written in [[seal script]] but rather in the more plain calligraphic [[clerical script]]. The Emperor ask one of China's most well-known calligraphers, [[Ouyang Xun]] to write down the legend of the cash coin. Minting and copper extraction were centrally controlled, and private casting was punishable by death. For the first time we find regulations giving the prescribed coinage alloy: 83% [[copper]], 15% [[lead]], and 2% [[tin]]. Previously the percentages used seem to have been on an ad hoc basis. Actual analyses show rather less copper than this.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} At first, mints were set up in Luoyang in Henan, and also in Peking, Chengdu, Bingzhou (Taiyuan in Shanxi), and then [[Guilin]] in [[Guangxi]]. Minting rights were also granted to some princes and officials. By 660, deterioration of the coinage due to forgery had become a problem. The regulations were reaffirmed in 718, and forgeries suppressed. In 737, the first commissioner with overall responsibility for casting was appointed. In 739, ten mints were recorded, with a total of 89 furnaces casting some 327,000 strings of cash a year. 123 ''liang'' of metal were needed to produce a string of coins weighing 100 ''liang''. In the late 740s, skilled artisans were employed for casting, rather than conscripted peasants. Despite these measures, the coinage continued to deteriorate. In 808, a ban on hoarding coins was proclaimed. This was repeated in 817. Regardless of the rank of a person, they could not hold more than 5,000 strings of cash. Cash balances exceeding this amount had to be expended within two months to purchase goods. This was an attempt to compensate for the lack of cash in circulation. By 834, mint output had fallen to 100,000 strings a year, mainly due to the shortage of copper. Forgeries using lead and tin alloys were produced.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} Due to the fact that this continued to be produced for two centuries by various mints all over China there are several hundred varieties of the Kaiyuan Tongbao that can be distinguished from each other due to slight differences. The Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins that were first cast until the height of the Tang period, early issues can be very accurately assigned to their time of casting and archeological evidence from Tang era tombs indeed prove that the first stroke of the character "元" are shorter than later versions, for this reason these coins are referred to as "short one yuan" (短一元, ''duǎn yī yuán'') versions. A lesser quantity of these early Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins are made from what the Chinese call "white copper" (白銅, ''bái tóng'') and are subsequently referred to as "White Copper/Baitong Kaiyuan Tongbao coins" (白銅開元通寶, ''báitóng kāiyuán tōng bǎo'') today, however during the Tang dynasty itself they were given the nickname "pure coins" (青錢, ''qīng qián'') which also became the basis for the nickname (外號) of "pure coin scholar" (青錢學士, ''qīng qián xué shì'') which was given to [[Emperor Gaozong of Tang|Emperor Gaozong]] as his writings were said to resemble the coins. There also exist Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins which are differentiated by their second horizontal stroke, other than the first variant these others quite rare. The following versions of the Kaiyuan Tongbao coin can be distinguished by the "元" character's second horizontal stroke (or "shoulder"):{{efn|Excavations during the 1950s at a Buddhist pagoda on Niushou Hill in [[Jiangning]] indicated that there might be evidence that the Right Shoulder Kaiyuan Tongbao and Two Shoulders Kaiyuan Tongbao variants might have been cast around [[Nanjing]].}} {|class="wikitable" |- ! [[English language|English]] (nick)name !! [[Traditional Chinese]] !! [[Simplified Chinese]] !! Differentiating characteristic !! Image |- | Left shoulder Kaiyuan Tongbao || 左挑開元通寶 || 左挑開元通宝 || The left "shoulder" slants upwards. || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao - Dr. Luke Roberts.jpg|75px]] |- | Right shoulder Kaiyuan Tongbao || 右挑開元通寶 || 右挑開元通宝 || The right "shoulder" slants upwards. || |- | Two shoulders Kaiyuan Tongbao || 雙挑開元通寶 || 双挑開元通宝 || Both "shoulders" slant upwards. || [[File:S281 Kaiyuan TIIIB1 (7243224050).jpg|75px]] |- | No shoulder Kaiyuan Tongbao || 不挑開元通寶 || 不挑開元通宝 || neither "shoulder" slants upwards. || |} Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins also commonly have differentiating features on their reverse, these can include crescents which according to legend happened when either [[Empress Zhangsun]] or [[Empress Taimu]] or in some versions of the story [[Yang Guifei]] pressed her fingernail into a specimen Kaiyuan Tongbao coin made from wax. Other sources claim that the crescents were added due to foreign influence. Today it is widely believed that these crescents were marks of quality used by various mints. Other than crescents, there were several Kaiyuan Tongbao coins with other reverse decorations, these include: {|class="wikitable" |- ! [[English language|English]] (nick)name !! [[Traditional Chinese]] !! [[Simplified Chinese]] !! Differentiating characteristic !! Image |- | Crescent Moon Kaiyuan Tongbao || 月紋開元通寶 || 月纹開元通宝 || Has a crescent on its reverse. || [[File:S406 Kaiyuan TIIIA3 croissant (7243228908).jpg|75px]] |- | Pregnant Star Kaiyuan Tongbao || 孕星開元通寶 || 孕星開元通宝 || Has a dot on its reverse. || [[File:S589 kaiyuan typeIA H141m 1ar85 (9124907472).jpg|75px]] |- | Double Moons Kaiyuan Tongbao || 雙月開元通寶 || 双月開元通宝 || Has two crescents on its reverse. || [[File:S136 Kaiyuan TIVA 2croissants (7243214170).jpg|75px]] |- | Star and Moon Kaiyuan Tongbao || 星月開元通寶 || 星月開元通宝 || Has both a crescent and a dot on its reverse. || |- | Auspicious Clouds Kaiyuan Tongbao || 雲紋開元通寶 || 云纹開元通宝 || Has clouds on its reverse. || |- | 3 Moons Kaiyuan Tongbao || 波紋開元通寶 || 波纹開元通宝 || Has 3 crescents on its reverse. || |- | 4 Moons Kaiyuan Tongbao || 四月開元通寶 || 四月開元通宝 || Has 4 crescents on its reverse. || |- | 4 Stars Kaiyuan Tongbao || 四星開元通寶 || 四星開元通宝 || Has 4 dots on its reverse. || |} Early Kaiyuan Tongbao coins are easily identified due to their deeply cut characters that never touch the rim of the coin, these are called "separate from the rim" Kaiyuan Tongbao coins ({{zh|t=隔輪開元通寶|s=隔轮開元通宝| hp=gélún kāiyuán tōng bǎo|links=no}}), while the reverse of these coins tend to have uniform and clear rims. Later variants of the Kaiyuan Tongbao often have excess metal between the strokes of the Hanzi characters and even later variants have characters with strokes so long that they touch the rim, meanwhile the rims on the reverse side of these Kaiyuan Tongbao coins tend to be irregular and relatively flat.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/chinesecoins.html#tang_dynasty_coins|title= Chinese coins – 中國錢幣 § Tang Dynasty (618-907).|date=16 November 2016|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref>Ding Fubao. Lidai guqian tushuo (Catalogue of ancient coins), [[Taiwan under Japanese rule|Taiwan]], 1940, in [[Mandarin Chinese]], reprinted in 1995 with Ma Ding-xiang comments.</ref><ref>Fisher, Geo. Fisher's Ding ('Ding Fubao' with [[English language|English]] comments).</ref> == Huichang era Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins == '''Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao''' ({{zh|t=會昌開元通寶|s=会昌開元通宝| hp= huìchāng kāiyuán tōng bǎo|links=yes}}) cash coins are a series of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins produced under [[Emperor Wuzong of Tang|Emperor Wuzong]] who was a devout [[Taoist]] and used the [[Chinese era name|reign era name]] of ''huìchāng'' (會昌), during the 5th year of this epoch (845) Emperor Wuzong ordered the casting of new coins with the inscription Kaiyuan Tongbao to be manufactured of bronze acquired by melting confiscated statues, copper bells, gongs, incense burners, and other copper items from [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] temples. These local mints were under the control of the provincial governors. The [[New Book of Tang|New Tang History]] states that [[Li Shen]], governor of [[Huainan]] province, requested that the empire might cast coins bearing the name of the prefecture in which they were cast, and this was agreed. These Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins differed from earlier variants due to the fact that they had the character ''chāng'' (昌) on their reverse side, other mints in China then adopted this and soon 23 mints produced Kaiyuan Tongbao coins with their own mint marks.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao coins are also of inferior workmanship compared to earlier coins and are diminutive in size. When Emperor [[Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (9th century)|Emperor Xuanzong]] ascended to the throne in the year 846, the aforementioned policy was reversed, and the new coins were recast to make Buddhist statues.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} The following mint marks could be found on Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins:<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> {|class="wikitable" |- ! Mint mark<br>([[Traditional Chinese]]) !! Mint mark<br>([[Simplified Chinese]]) !! [[Pinyin]] !! Place of issue !! Image |- | 昌 || 昌 || Chāng || [[Huichang County|Huichang]] || |- | 京 || 京 || Jīng || [[Jingzhao]]{{efn|There exists a rare version of this coin that has a mirrored version of this mint mark.}} || |- | 洛 || 洛 || Luò || [[Luoyang]] || |- | 益 || 益 || Yì || [[Yi Province|Yizhou]] || |- | 荊 || 荆 || Jīng || [[Jingzhou (ancient China)|Jingzhou]] || |- | 襄 || 襄 || Xiāng || [[Xiang Prefecture (Hubei)|Xiangzhou]] || [[File:S475 Kaiyuan HuiChang (7256102580).jpg|75px]] |- | 藍 || 蓝 || Lán || [[Lantian County|Lantian]]{{efn|There exists a variant that has three clouds on the reverse. Another uncimmon Huichang era coin from Lantian has the four character reverse inscription ''tài píng dà wáng'' (太平大王).}} || |- | 越 || 越 || Yuè || [[Yue Prefecture (Zhejiang)|Yuezhou]] || |- | 宣 || 宣 || Xuān || [[Xuancheng]] || |- | 洪 || 洪 || Hóng || [[Hong Prefecture|Hongzhou]] || |- | 潭 || 潭 || Dǎn || [[Changsha]]{{efn|There exists a lead version of this coin.}} || |- | 兗 || 兖 || Yǎn || [[Yan Prefecture (Shandong)|Yanzhou]] || |- | 潤 || 润 || Rùn || [[Jiangsu]] || |- | 鄂 || 鄂 || È || [[Ezhou]] || |- | 平 || 平 || Píng || [[Ping Prefecture (Zhili)|Pingzhou]] || |- | 興 || 兴 || Xīng || [[Xingyuan]] || |- | 梁 || 梁 || Liáng || [[Liang Prefecture (Shaanxi)|Liangzhou]] || |- | 廣 || 广 || Guǎng || [[Guangzhou]] || |- | 梓 || 梓 || Zǐ || [[Dongchuan District|Dongchuan]] || |- | 福 || 福 || Fú || [[Fuzhou]]{{efn|The majority of the Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao coins minted in Fuzhou have the mint mark above the squar hole while there are less common versions with the mint mark either to the right or below the square hole.}} || |- | 桂 || 桂 || Guì || [[Guiyang]] or [[Guizhou]] || |- | 丹 || 丹 || Dān || [[Danzhou (modern Shaanxi)|Danzhou]] || |- | 永 || 永 || Yǒng || [[Yongzhou]]{{efn|Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins with the "yong" (永) mint are the rarest.}} || |} == In Feng shui == {{Main|Chinese numismatic charm}} {{not done for now}}. == Influence outside of China == === Japan === [[Japan]]ese "Fuhonsen" and later the [[Wadōkaichin]] were modelled after the Tang dynasty's Kaiyuan Tongbao coin using similar calligraphy.<ref>[[Japan Mint]] [https://www.mint.go.jp/eng/kids-eng/eng_kids_history.html History of Japanese Coins (for kids)]. Retrieved: 06 June 2018.</ref> === Sogdia === [[File:A77 Sogdiane Samitan 1ar (8399125128).jpg|thumb|right|A Sogdian cash coin.]] During excavations in the historically [[Sogdia]]n cities of [[Afrasiab]] (old [[Samarkand]]) and [[Pendjikent]] a large number of Sogdian coins were uncovered, the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] numismatist Smirnova listed in her catalogue on Sogdian coins from 1573 published in 1981 a large number of coins of which several were based on Kaiyuan Tongbao's. Sogdian coins tend to be produced independently by each city and contain tribal mint marks known as ''tamgha's'',<ref>{{cite web|url= http://numismatics.org/pocketchange/tag/kai-yuan-tong-bao/|title= Samarqand’s Cast Coinage of the Early 7th–Mid-8th Centuries AD: Assessment based on Chinese sources and numismatic evidence.|date=12 August 2016|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Andrew Reinhard (Pocket Change – The blog of the [[American Numismatic Society]]).|language=en}}</ref> some cities used coins based on [[Sassanian Empire|Persian]] coinages (which made up 13.2% of the known variants), while others preferred Chinese cash coins which were influenced by the Tang dynasty's western expanse during the seventh century (cash style coins also made up the majority of Sogdian coins and accounted for 86.7% of all known variants), as well as hybrid coins which feature an image based on a square hole on one side of the coin and a portrait of the King in the other side (these made up 0.7% of the known variants). A number of Sogdian coins even imitate the Kaiyuan Tongbao inscription directly, but on their reverses have added Sogdian ''tamgha's'' on the right or left side of te hole as well as the Sogdian word for "lord". The modern era these Sogdian Kaiyuan Tongbao coins are reproduced in large numbers by forgers in [[Hong Kong]], these forgeries have proven to be very difficult to differentiate from the original coins and are abundant in quantity.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.charm.ru/coins/misc/soghdian-kaiyuan.shtml|title= Soghdian Kai Yuans (lectured at the Dutch 1994-ONS meeting)|date=1994|accessdate=8 June 2018|work= T.D. Yih and J. de Kreek (hosted on the Chinese Coinage Website).|language=en}}</ref><ref>Albaum, L.I. and Brentjes, B. (1971) Wachter des Goldes, Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, [[West Berlin]]. (in [[German language|German]])</ref><ref>Barthold, W. (1968, reprint) Turkestan down to the Mongol invasion, Southern Materials Center Inc., [[Taipei]].</ref><ref>Ding Fubao (1940, reprint) pg. 72, Taipei. (in [[Mandarin Chinese]]).</ref><ref>Frye, R.N. (1954) History of Bukhara, AMS press, [[New York city|New York]].</ref><ref>Guo Ruoyu (1994) Zhonguo qianbi 1994-III, page 69, fig. 10 (in [[Mandarin Chinese]])</ref><ref>Smirnova, O.I. (1981) Svodnii Katalog Sogdiiskich Monet, [[Moscow|Moskwa]]. (in [[Russian language|Russian]])</ref><ref>Thierry, F. (1991) Typologie et Chronologie das Kai Yuan tong bao des Tang Revue Numismatique 33, 209-49. (in [[French language|French]])</ref> === Vietnam === [[Vietnamese cash coins]] produced from the [[Đinh dynasty|Đinh]] until the late [[Trần dynasty]] tend to be heavily based on the Chinese Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins, an example would be the [[Lý dynasty]] era ''Thiên Tư Nguyên Bảo'' (天資元寶) cash coins cast under Emperor [[Lý Cao Tông]] which uses two distinct styles of Chinese calligraphy, one of them is a native Lý dynasty style and the other is based on the Kaiyuan Tongbao, often the Chinese character "Nguyên" (元) on older Vietnamese coins is copied directly from Chinese Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, particularly how the left hook of the character moves upwards, although variants of the characters in "pure Vietnamese styles" were cast simultaneously. Like many Kaiyuan Tongbao coins many of these early Vietnamese cash coins would add reverse crescents or mint marks which were often wholly borrowed from the calligraphic style of the Kaiyuan Tongbao. Every early Vietnamese cash coin that has a reverse inscription is based on the Kaiyuan Tongbao.<ref> The Asian Numismatic Museum (Sudokuone.com) [http://vietnam.sudokuone.com//thien_tu/study_tt.htm Vietnamese Thien Tu and Kai Yuan Style - Thiên Tư Nguyên Bảo 天資元寶 Thư pháp, viết theo phong cách, Trung Quốc Kai Yuan] by Dr. R. Allan Barker. Retrieved: 07 June 2018.</ref> == See also == * [[Flying cash]] == Notes == {{Notes}} == References == {{Reflist}} == Sources == * Hartill, David (September 22, 2005). ''Cast Chinese Coins''. [[Trafford]], [[United Kingdom]]: Trafford Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1412054669}}. {{Commonscat|Kaiyuan Tongbao}} {{Chinese currency and coinage}} [[:Category:Coins of China]] [[:Category:Tang dynasty]] [[:Category:Chinese numismatics]] .