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Auction: CSS86B - The Prestigious Academic Reference Collection Of The Late Dr Werner Burger - Part 2
Lot: 1313

Annam (Vietnam), a mixed lot of Annam cash coins. The cash coins from Annam all take the typical circular exterior and square holed center form of ancient Chinese cash coins. Though many countries and civilisations around the peripheries of China and along the Silk Road were similarly influenced, Annam was definitely the country which had longest history of minting such coins beyond China, thus making evident the intimate relationship between the two regions through trade, conquest and cultural exchange over two millennia. Since some of the Annam emperors also shared the Chinese era names as their Chinese counterparts, many of the coins share the same Chinese characters, and the proximity of the two countries meant that Chinese currencies were also in circulation in Annam (and vice versa) sometimes lead to confusion when identifying the origin of the cash coins. Furthermore, there are not many copper ores in the region, so any cash coin from whichever era and region were deemed appropriate means for payment as long as they are circular with a square hole. In order to gain more profit and meet market demands, the mints had the tendency to mint coins which are thinner and lighter when compared to Chinese ones, hence they earned the nickname "floating coins". The stigma of Annam cash coins and the records destroyed by wars over the past two centuries meant that they are still poorly understood, but are nonetheless significant and serves as an essential reference for many discerning collectors of ancient Chinese cash coins. mixed condition [211, 212]


安南, 雖然中國歷代的周邊國家和絲綢之路所經過的文明也深受中國的文化，政治與經濟影響，可是安南（越南）是中國以外鑄行方孔圓錢時間最長、品類最多、數量最大的國家，從而突顯出安南與中國長達兩千年的密切關係。安南有些朝代年號襲用了中國，錢文也採用漢文，而且安南歷代統治者基於銅資源較少，對貨幣的態度是不拒前朝錢，不拒外來錢，凡是方孔圓錢都能在社會上合法流通，所以和中國古錢會出現容易混淆的情況。不過鑄造者為了鑄造更多銅錢，獲利更大，安南錢大多是體輕銅薄的"水漂錢"，質量和品相都與中國古代所鑄銅錢無法相比。不良的聲譽令藏家卻步，加上越南地區近代戰亂頻仍，多災多難，古代典籍遭到破壞，史料嚴重缺失，因此相關的研究依然缺乏，但不影響其歷史和學術意義，更對中國的錢幣收藏者有著重要的參考價值。種類繁多，品相不一，未能盡錄。

Sold for
HK$2,600

Starting price
HK$1000