![Đại Nam, Thiệu Trị, 'Heavens & Earth' 5 Tien, 1841-1847 [WC5a-3] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/WC5A-3-1.jpg)
Description
Đại Nam (大南), Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông (阮福綿宗) of the House of Nguyễn Phúc, reigning as Thiệu Trị (紹治), the third Emperor of the Nguyễn Empire 1841-1847 AD, Silver ‘Heavens and Earth’ Half Lang of Five Tien (18.99g, 46mm), Imperial Mint, Huế. Obverse: Central square hole within raised central square, Confucian political poem made up of twenty-four characters read vertically from top to bottom, moving from right to left across four individual text blocks: “玦澒千年化 盪鏐萬世傳 酬勳彰有德 所寶者惟賢”, transliterated as “Quyết hống thiên niên hóa, Đãng lưu vạn thế truyền, Thùy huân chương hữu đức, Sở bảo giả duy hiền”, all within raised border. Reverse: Central square hole within raised central square, above are the heavens, including the seven luminaries or Thất Diệu (七曜): the Sun on the right and Moon on the left, and between them a cross representing the five classical planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, five auspicious clouds surround, and below is the earthly realm, including three mountain peaks emerging from turbulent ocean waves and surrounded by tree or coral-like branches; legend to field either side, to right, “紹治通寶”, transliterated as “Thiệu Trị Thông Bảo”, and to left, “萬世永賴”, transliterated as “Vạn Thế Vĩnh Lại” , all within raised border. Scholten-242. A sensational Half Lang of Thiệu Trị, offering exceptionally bold devices and an idyllic array of patination – an imposing issue full of symbolism and poetry, a very collectible type from the series, basically Mint State.
The obverse legend is a Confucian political poem made up of twenty-four characters, as stated above it reads: “玦澒千年化 盪鏐萬世傳 酬勳彰有德 所寶者惟賢”, and transliterated as “Quyết hống thiên niên hóa, Đãng lưu vạn thế truyền, Thùy huân chương hữu đức, Sở bảo giả duy hiền”, with an English translation of “Through a thousand years of transformation, the raw ores and cinnabar mercury fuse into precious material; refined into pure, shimmering gold/silver, it will be passed down through ten thousand generations; to reward stellar services and to manifest the visibility of those who hold great moral virtue; for the only true treasures [of the state] are those who possess great wisdom and capability”. The reverse legend, as stated above, reads “紹治通寶 萬世永賴”, transliterated as “Thiệu Trị Thông Bảo, Vạn Thế Vĩnh Lại”, with an English translation of “Circulating Treasure of Thiệu Trị, Dependence upon [Imperial Beneficence] for Ten Thousand Generations”.
