The Numismatic Chronicle 171 Offprint - Royal Numismatic Society

374
FRANÇOIS THIERRY
3. 帝德廣運 Đế đức quảng vận
Ch. Di de guang yun // The virtue of the Emperor moves without limit.
Inscription found on coins of the Minh Mạng 35 and Tự Đức 36 eras.
This expression is taken from The Counsels of Yu the Great (Da Yu mo 大禹謨), in
the Book of Documents (Shujing). 37 Imperial virtue radiating throughout the empire
and beyond is a recurrent theme in Confucianism. The wise emperor does not need
to constrain, either by force or by war; it is by virtuous example that he leads the
princes and the people to modify their attitude, their manners and to adopt correct
behaviour.
4. 利用,厚生 Lợi dụng, hậu sinh
Ch. Li yong, hou sheng // Acquire the necessary goods, assure the well-being of the
people.
Inscription found on coins of the Minh Mạng, 38 Thiệu Trị, 39 and Tự Đức 40 eras.
These four characters are taken from The Counsels of Yu the Great and refer to the
Three Occupations of the ideal ruler (see also type 30). 41
5. 中和位育 Trung hòa vị dục
Ch. Zhong he wei yu // Balance and harmony, all in place, multiply.
Inscription found on coins of the Minh Mạng 42 , Thiệu Trị 43 and Tự Đức 44 eras.
This is a contraction of a passage in the fi rst chapter of The Doctrine of the Mean
(Zhongyong 中庸): ‘When there is the highest degree of balance and harmony,
Heaven and Earth will be in their place, and all things will multiply’ (Zhi zhong he,
Tian Di wei yan, wan wu yu yan 致中和天地位焉,萬物育焉). 45
6. 斂福錫民 Liễm phúc tích dân
Ch. Lian fu xi min // Achieve happiness and share it with the people.
35 Lacroix, Numismatique annamite, no. 408; Schroeder, no. 153; CMVS, no. 391; Barker, Historical
cash coins of Viêt Nam, no. 161.
36 CMV, no. 1780.
37 Shujing, I-3, p. 33.
38 Lacroix, Numismatique annamite, no. 401; Schroeder, Annam. Etudes numismatiques, no. 154;
CMV, no. 1517.
39 Barker, Historical cash coins of Viêt Nam, no. 180.
40 Lacroix, Numismatique annamite, no. 460; AS, III, p. 23; Barker, no. 196.
41 Shujing, I-3, p. 35. Hou sheng 厚生 is the equivalent of ximin 錫民 (see type 30).
42 Schroeder, Annam. Etudes numismatiques, no. 155; CMV, no. 1518; Barker, Historical cash coins
of Viêt Nam, no. 162.
43 AMM, no. V142.
44 Lacroix, Numismatique annamite, no. 462; CMV, no. 1781.
45 Zhong Yong, I, p. 29. James Legge (Four Books, pp. 351–2) translates this as ‘Let the path of
equilibrium and harmony exist in perfection, and a happy order will prevail throughout heaven and
earth, and all things will be nourished and fl ourish.’