XXI. The Nguy-khoi Rebellion. The Nung Rebellion. Doubtful Coins. 1600 to date.

The Nguy-khoi Rebellion.

KHOI was an officer of high rank in the employ of the Government in Lower Cochinchina. he was accused of holding ambitious views and of wishing to assert his independence, and therefore was called to the court of Hue to give an account of his actions. Afraid to appear, he raised the standard of rebellion in the province of Saigon, and very soon became master of the Mytho, Bien-hoa, Baria and Mo-xai districts.

King 明命 MINH-MANG became seriously alarmed at the proportions of this rebellion, and sent troops by land and sea to quell it. The royal army slowly regained possession of the disturbed districts, with the exception of Saigon, which became the centre of the insurrectionary movement, the inhabitants offering serious resistance. The town was besieged, and had it not been for the treachery of one of the rebel chiefs who opened the gates of the citadel, the royal troops would have been kept in check for a considerable time.

KHOI was made a prisoner, taken to Hue, and condemned to death by being slowly cut to pieces. About the same time nearly two thousand of his followers were put to the sword at Saigon and were buried in the place known to this day as the field of Graves.

No. 240. (Barker: 111.1)
Obverse: 治元通寶 Tri-nguyen-thong-bao
Reverse: A crescent and a dot on the right and left of the hole. Lead. Coin issued by Khoi (1831-1834).

The Nung Rebellion.

NUHG VAN-VAN was the feudal chief of the Bao-lac district. who, availing himself of the insurrection in Tunquin of a descendant of the 黎 LE Dynasty, followed his example by revolting in 1832, in the provinces of 宣光 Tuyen-quang. 高平 Cao-bang, 諒山 Lang-son, and 太原 Thai-nguyen. His fortunes were checkered, and although he twice gained possession of the city of Cao-bang, on each occasion he had soon to retire before the royal troops sent against him.

For three years he kept the troops at bay in the mountains to which he had fled, but having; suffered severe defeat at Bao-lac, he found himself compelled to seek refuge in China. On his arrival he was persecuted by the mandarins to whom the Annamese had applied for his extradition, and fearing to be caught, he re-entered Annam and tried to hide himself in the An-quang-xa woods. He was discovered, however, by the Annamese, who, fearing that he might again escape, surrounded the woods and set fire to them. On the following day the charred body of NUNG VAN-VAN was found near some rocks.

No. 241. (Barker: 113.2)
Obverse: 元隆通寶 Nguyen-long-thong-bao. The character 元 Nguyen written in the running hand style.
Reverse: plain. White copper.

No. 242. (Barker: 113.1)
Obverse: Same as before, but with the four characters written in plain style.
Reverse: plain.

No. 243. (Barker: none) - Obverse: Same as No. 241.
Reverse: with a double rim.

No. 244. (Barker: 113.3)
Obverse: Same as No. 241.
Reverse: The character 昌 Xuong, the meaning of which is uncertain.

Doubtful Coins. 1600 to date.

Having completed the classification of Annamese coins, there still remain a number of cash bearing the names of Princes, of rebel chiefs, or of various mints. Their Annamese origin is well established, but owing to the want of precise information regarding the history of the country, it has been found impossible to place them under separate and distinct headings. It has therefore been considered best to class them as doubtful until the researches of others shall have supplied the means of determining the respective periods to which they belong.

Among them there are doubtless many from the Quang-nam Principality, the rulers of which were kings de facto and issued coins at various times. But in making up the chronological tables of the different Annamese dynasties, the name used by these rulers in their own territory could not be traced, and it has therefore been found impossible to classify the coins issued by them.

The classification of other doubtful coins cast by certain rebels presents still greater difficulties owing to the shortness of time during which some of those chiefs were in arms, and to the fact that the names under which they fought, or the titles they assumed when in revolt, have not as a rule been recorded to Annamese books.

The following is a list of these coins:

No. 245. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 紹聖元寶 Thieu-thanh-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: The character 正 Chanh, the meaning of which has already been explained. Copper mixed with tin.

No. 246. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 寧民通寶 Ninh-thi-thong-bao. The character 寶 Bao, written in an abbreviated form.
Reverse: without rim. Heavy coin made of white copper.

No. 247. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 明定宋寶 Minh-dinh-tong-bao. The characters Tong-bao written in the seal style.
Reverse: plain.

No. 248. (Barker: see 119.1-119.3)
Obverse: 景元通寶 Canh-nguyen-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 249. (Barker: 119.1-119.3)
Obverse: Same as before, but written in seal characters.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 250. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 聖宋元寶 Thanh-tong-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: plain. Red and white copper.

No. 251. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 乾元通寶 Can-nguyen-thong-bao.
Reverse: without rim. Red Copper. Seems to have been cast in Upper Tunquin.

No. 252. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 福平元寶 Phuc-binh-nguyen-bao. Written in seal characters.
Reverse: plain. Copper mixed with tin.

No. 253. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 邵癸通寶 Tieu-qui-thong-bao. Written in running hand and seal characters.
Reverse: plain. Yellow copper.

No. 254. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 洋元通寶 Thuong-nguyen-thong-bao.
Reverse: without rim. White copper.

No. 255. (Barker: none)
Same as before, but of smaller size. These coins are very thin and of three or four different sizes.

No. 256. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 紹符元寶 Thieu-phu-nguyen-bao. Written in seal characters.
Reverse: plain. Red copper.

No. 257. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 元符通寶 Nguyen-phu-thong-bao. Written in seal characters.
Reverse: without rim. White copper.

No. 258. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 大工聖寶 Dai-cung-thanh-bao.
Reverse: plain. Red copper.

No. 259. (Barker: 55.1)
Obverse: 開建通寶 Khai-kien-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain. Red copper.

No. 260. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 崇明通寶 Sung-minh-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 261. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 大和通寶 Dai-hoa-thong-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 262. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 景底通寶 Canh-ti-thong-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

Note: The second character rather reads like 辰 Thinh.

No. 263. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 天元通寶 Thien-nguyen-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 264. (Barker: none)
Same as before, but with the character 元 of the obverse written in the seal style.

No. 265. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 元治通寶 Nguyen-tri-thong-bao. The characters tri and bao written in the seal style.

No. 266. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 皇熙宋寶 Hoang-hi-tong-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 267. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 開聖元寶 Khai-thanh-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 268. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 紹聖通寶 Thieu-thanh-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 269. (Barker: none)
Obverse: Same as before, bat with the character 平 binh instead of 通 thong.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 270. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 紹宋元寶 Thieu-tong-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 271. (Barker: 26.1-26.5)
Obverse: 紹元通寶 Thieu-nguyen-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 272. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 祥宋元寶 Thuong-tong-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 273. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 祥聖通寶 Thuong-thanh-thong-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 274. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 熙宋元寶 Hi-tong-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 275. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 應感元寶 Ung-cam-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 276. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 統符元寶 Thong-phu-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 277. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 熙紹元寶 Hi-thieu-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 278. (Barker: see 57.1)
Obverse: 正元通寶 Chanh-nguyen-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain. Copper mixed with tin.

No. 279. (Barker: see 57.1)
Obverse: Same as before.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 280. (Barker: none)
Obverse: Same as No. 278.
Reverse: A dot above the hole.

No. 281. (Barker: none)
Obverse: Same as No. 278.
Reverse: A crescent on the left of the hole.

No. 282. (Barker: none)
Obverse: Same as No. 278.
Reverse: A crescent on the right of the hole.

No. 283. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 天德元寶 Thien-duc-nguyen-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 284. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 皇恩通寶 Hoang-ban-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 285. (Barker: 85.1-85.3)
Obverse: 天明通寶 Thien-minh-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain. Lead. Coin made in the Quang-nam province.

No. 286. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 太聖通寶 Thai-thanh-thong-bao.
Reverse: without rim.

No. 287. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 大聖通寶 Dai-thanh-thong-bao.
Reverse: plain.

No. 288. (Barker: see 112.1)
Obverse: 治平通寶 Tri-binh-thong-bao.
Reverse: A crescent on the left of the hole.

No. 289. (Barker: none)
Obverse: 政和通寶 Chanh-hoa-thong-bao.
Reverse: A crescent on the right of the hole.

No. 290. (Barker: none)
Obverse: Same as before.
Reverse: A crescent and dot on each side of the hole.

⟸ Annam and its Minor Currency ⟹