The term ''tiền'' ( Hán tự: 錢) is used to refer to various currency-related concepts used in Vietnamese history. The name is a

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical e ...

with the Chinese ''qián'' (錢), a unit of weight called "

mace Mace may refer to: Spices * Mace (spice), a spice derived from the aril of nutmeg * '' Achillea ageratum'', known as English mace, a flowering plant once used as a herb Weapons * Mace (bludgeon), a weapon with a heavy head on a solid shaft used ...

" in English. It can refer to a unit of weight used in

precious metal Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals tend to be less reactive than most elements (see noble metal). They are usually ductile and have a high lu ...

coinages as well as the number of cash coins in a

string String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

. The name was also used for different

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

s, both Chinese-style and Western-style awards given in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

throughout different times of its history. The word ''tiền'' is also the Vietnamese word for the concept of

money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money ar ...

in general.

Cash coins

In cash coins the term ''tiền'' could be used to refer to sub-strings of 10 cash coins in a string of 100~600. Though the quality of cash coins was also important for counting a ''tiền'', in 1945 a ''tiền'' of '' tiền gián'' included 36 cash coins, while a ''tiền'' of '' tiền quý'' included 60 cash coins.

Precious metal coinages

In the early 19th century, silver and gold bars were traded as currency in imperial Vietnam with values of up to 10 tiền (approximately 40

gram The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one one thousandth of a kilogram. Originally defined as of 1795 as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to ...

s, or 1

tael Tael (),"Tael" entry
at the ANNAM and its minor currency.
Retrieved: 23 July 2017. During this time, silver and gold coins were minted (using Vietnamese characters and design, but of types resembling either Chinese cash or Western coins) with denominations of up to 10 tiền being minted. During the

Minh Mạng Minh Mạng () or Minh Mệnh (, vi-hantu, 明命, lit. "the bright favour of Heaven"; 25 May 1791 – 20 January 1841; born Nguyễn Phúc Đảm, also known as Nguyễn Phúc Kiểu) was the second emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty of V ...

period (1820–1841) dragons on silver ''tiền'' coins were often depicted facing dexter (to the right), while during the

Thiệu Trị Thiệu Trị (, vi-hantu, 紹治, lit. "inheritance of prosperity"; 6 June 1807 – 4 November 1847), personal name Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông or Nguyễn Phúc Tuyền, was the third emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty. He was the eldest son of Em ...

period (1841–1847) and later these coins depicted dragons guardant (facing forwards).De Rode Leeuw
Armorial of Vietnam
by Hubert de Vries. Retrieved: 19 August 2021. In the year Minh Mệnh 14 (1833) the ''Phi Long'' dragon coins were

depreciated In accountancy, depreciation is a term that refers to two aspects of the same concept: first, the actual decrease of fair value of an asset, such as the decrease in value of factory equipment each year as it is used and wear, and second, the ...

by increasing the amounts of copper and zinc that were in them lowering their silver content. These coins continued to be minted in varying quantities into the 20th century in

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

, although circulating alongside the

French Indochinese piastre The piastre de commerce was the currency of French Indochina between 1885 and 1952. It was subdivided into 100 ''cents'', each of 2~6 '' sapèques''. The name '' piastre'' (), from Spanish pieces of eight (pesos), dates to the 16th century and ...

Tiền decorations

The ''Tiền'' was also a name of decorations given by the government of the Nguyễn dynasty until 1945, like in Imperial China these coins came in the form of

presentation coin A presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product. Presenta ...

s, but after French colonisation the ''Tiền'' was also awarded as European-style

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

s called the '' Sapèque d'Honneur'' (" Cash coin of Honour"). ''Tiền'' presentation coin decorations came in multiple classes and were known as ''Đồng Tiền'' (銅錢, "Copper money"), ''Ngân Tiền'' (銀錢, "Silver money"), and ''Kim Tiền'' (金錢, "Gold money"). The ''Sapèque d'Honneur'' medal was further subdivided into the ''Sapèque d'Argent'' (made of silver) and the ''Sapèque d'Or'' (made of gold). These decorations generally took the shape of silver or gold cash coins as well as other coinages issued by the Nguyễn dynasty, but would often have more elaborate designs and (often) different inscriptions.

Notes

References

External links