A jar containing ancient copper coins was unearthed in Dong Hoi city of the central province of Quang Binh.
According to Director of Quang Binh Museum Tran Anh Tuan, the jar was
discovered by Nguyen Thanh Hai, a resident in Loc Ninh commune, when he
was digging earth to build the foundation for his new house.
The brown 35 cm high terracotta jar contains seven round copper coins
with square holes in the middle. The coins, all rusty, are of different
sizes and thickness and have sophisticated carved patterns.
Initial studies shows the coins date back thousand years ago. Among
them, five coins are believed to be from Chinese Bei Song dynasty in
the 10th – 11th centuries. Another one is from Chinese Ming dynasty
(1402 – 1424).
The remaining is a Vietnamese coin issued
under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (1460 – 1497) with clear and fine
decorative pattern.-VNA