1946 Vietnam 5 Hao

FilamCoins

Made of aluminum. Presumably struck in 1946, the year the Chinese withdrew from Vietnam leaving Ho Chi Minh in charge of the northern part of the country. Later that year, the war with the French started. Can't find anything on the significance of the cooking pot.


Is the value '5' in the star raised or incuse?? I'm thinking raised by the look of it.

sumnom

The "pot" is called a "ding" in Chinese and was used for burning incense or other kinds of offerings. I don't know what the Vietnameses reading is. In ancient China, there was a king who once cherished one as a treasure and after that time the ding came to symbolize the king/emperor/lord or the institution of the throne and its authority. I don't know for sure in this case but I think the use of the ding on the Vietnamese coin is a symbol of sovereighty and/or independence.

sumnom

I've been reading a little more...

The ding was used during the Qin and Han dynasties for burning offerings of meat for sundry deities. Since governments had to operate with divine sanction any ruler worth his salt had to have a ding at court to make sure the supernatural powers were sated. So, again, it comes to be a symbol of governmental authority and thus sovereignty.

sumnom

Here is some info in English:

Ding info

FilamCoins

Thanks for the info, Sumnom! Good stuff!!

sumnom

My pleasure!