Vietnam, Annam, Ly Dynasty (1010-1225), king Cao-Tong (高宗 , 1176-1211), Trị Bình era in his fourth nien-hao, ca. 1205-1210 AD.,
1 Cash (ø 20 mm / 1,32 g), cast bronze, square center hole, (diminutive coin),
Obv.: 治 - 平 - 元 - 寶 , Tri-binh-nguyen-bao (clockwise from top of center hole), The character 元 nguyen is written in the tchuen or seal character.
Rev.: plain with rim (square center hole).
Barker 8.2 ; Toda no. 14 ; Sj. 7 .
from http://art-hanoi.com/toda/12.html :
In 1176 高宗 CAO-TONG, son of Anh-tong, came to power, and ten years afterwards he received his investiture from the Emperor of China, being called for the first time 安å—王 An-nam Vuong, or King of Annum. He was corrupt and addicted to vice, and was dethroned by a military rebellion in 1211. His son æƒ å®— HUE-TONG, supported by his father-in-law é™³æŽ TRAN-LY, succeeded to the throne. The kingdom was in a very disturbed state: the æŽ Ly Dynasty had already lost the prestige acquired by its first kings, and the fear of imaginary or real dangers which surrounded the life of the king made him lose his reason and his throne. He became mad and abdicated in 1225 in favour of his daughter æ˜æ„Ÿ CHIEU-THANH. The 陳 TRAN family did not lose such a good opportunity to obtain the crown; one of its members 陳景 TRAN-CANH married the queen, and, on her abdicating in favour of her husband, the Ly family, the true founders of the Annamese kingdom, disappeared from power.