Tran Phi Cong, deputy director of the Ha Tinh Museum, said the find was made in Lang Che Village, Son Kim 2 Commune, and weighs about 15 kilogrammes, comprising thousands of heavily oxidised coins fused into large clusters.
The ancient coins found in Lang Che Village (Photo: Cong Tran)
The coins are round, about 2.4 cm in diameter, with a square hole at the centre. The obverse bears the two Chinese characters “Wu Zhu” written in seal script, while the reverse is plain with a thin, even rim.
Experts have identified the artefacts as Wu Zhu coins, one of the earliest and longest-circulating currencies in Chinese and East Asian history.
The coins weighs around 15 kilogrammes (Photo: Cong Tran)
Many of the coins have corroded and bonded together over time, forming solid masses.
This is the first time such a large quantity of Wu Zhu coins has been discovered in Ha Tinh Province.
Authorities are safeguarding the find and studying its historical and archaeological value, while preventing illegal trade or loss.
