Thái Bình Hưng Bảo

The Thái Bình Hưng Bảo (chữ Hán: 太平興寶) was the first cash coin produced in Vietnam as well as the oldest currency ever natively produced there. Despite bearing the actual legend of Đại Bình Hưng Bảo (大平興寶) it is known as the "Thái Bình Hưng Bảo" because the era name was "Thái Bình" (太平) as it was first minted in 970 under the reign of Ðinh Tiên Hoàng of the Đinh dynasty, its production ran until 979 under his son, Đinh Phế Đế. The Thái Bình Hưng Bảo was the only coin produced under the Đinh dynasty as even after Ðinh Tiên Hoàng was replaced by his son Đinh Phế Đế, coins the same inscription were continued to be manufactured. The Thái Bình Hưng Bảo helped assert Vietnam's economic, political, diplomatic, and cultural independence from China as up until that point imported Chinese cash coins were the de facto currency of Vietnam for areas that were high in trade. The introduction of a native currency was seen as being culturally significant as it asserted a national consciousness and a continued spirit of independence.

The Thái Bình Hưng Bảo was made from bronze and had a round shape with a square central hole, the round outer shape symbolised the universe while the square hole represented the earth as they were perceived in Chinese and Vietnamese mythology. This design continued to be used for Vietnamese cash coins issued by later dynasties and ended with the Bảo Đại Thông Bảo (保大通寶) until Emperor Bảo Đại abdicated in 1945.