User:Donald Trung/Seals of the Nguyễn dynasty

 This page serves as "the editing history" of the English Wikipedia article "Seals of the Nguyễn dynasty" and is preserved for attribution. This article covers both the imperial seal of the Nguyễn dynasty as well as other seals used by its Emperors (or "Kings").

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seals_of_the_Nguy%E1%BB%85n_dynasty&oldid=1017105251  Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 21:23, 10 April 2021 (UTC) .

Original draft

{{Infobox coat of arms |name = Heirloom seal of the Southern Realm<br><small>(Imperial Seal of the Nguyễn dynasty)</small><br><small>{{Yellow|Ngọc tỷ truyền quốc của nước Đại Nam}}</small> |image = Heirloom seal of the Nguyễn Dynasty.svg |armiger = [[File:Long Tinh Kỳ (Dragon Star Flag) nhà Nguyễn, 1802-1885.png|20px]] [[Nguyễn dynasty]] |year_adopted = [[Thiệu Trị]] 5 (1846) |until = [[Bảo Đại]] 20 (1945){{Efn|Abolition of the Nguyễn dynasty, see: [[August Revolution]].}} |motto = Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ (大南受天永命傳國璽, "The [[Names of Vietnam|Great South]] has the eternal [[Mandate of Heaven]], jade seal for the transmission of the legacy of the Empire") |orders = |other_elements = |earlier_versions = [[File:Seal of Nguyễn Lords.svg|75px]]<br>(Seal of the [[Nguyễn lords]]) |use = Official seal of the Nguyễn dynasty government<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/1001/28564/bao-vat-quoc-gia-an-ngoc-djai-nam-thu-thien-vinh-menh-truyen-quoc-ty.html|title= Bảo vật Quốc gia: Ấn ngọc Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ.|date=24 January 2018|accessdate=8 March 2021|author= TS. Nguyễn Đình Chiến|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref><ref name="Nguyễn-seals-ĐNTL">[[Đại Nam thực lục]], Quote: "The year Can Thìn, 1st year of the reign of Minh Mang (1820), February, auspicious day, the emperor put the seal in his box and sealed it with his own hands". It was not until 1837 (22nd day of the 12th lunar month in the 18th year of Minh Mang) that the emperor, with great fanfare, opened the box and showed the seal to the court before sealing it in ink. red and store it in the Can Thanh Palace. The use of the seal Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo was replaced by the jade one Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ 大南受天永命傳國璽 ("Eternal Mandate of Heaven, transmission of the legacy of the Empire”) sculpted in 1846 during the reign of Emperor Thiệu Trị (1841-1847)."</ref> }} {{Infobox Vietnamese |title= Seals of the Nguyễn dynasty |qn= Ấn triện triều Nguyễn / Ấn triện nhà Nguyễn |hn= 印篆朝阮<br>印篆茹阮 }} The '''seals of the Nguyễn dynasty''' can refer to a collection of [[Seal (East Asia)|seals]] (印篆, ''Ấn triện'' or 印章, ''Ấn chương'') specifically made for the [[List of Vietnamese monarchs|emperors]] of the [[Nguyễn dynasty]] ([[Hán tự]]: 寶璽朝阮 / 寶璽茹阮), who reigned over [[Vietnam]] between the years 1802 and 1945 (under [[French Indochina|French protection]] since 1883, as [[Annam (French protectorate)|Annam]] and [[Tonkin (French protectorate)|Tonkin]]), or to seals produced during this period in [[History of Vietnam|Vietnamese history]] in general (the latter are generally referred to in Vietnamese as 印信, ''ấn tín'').<ref>Tổ chức chính quyền trung ương thời Nguyễn (1802 - 1847), Nguyễn Sĩ Hải, Sài Gòn, 1962. (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]])</ref><ref>Tổ chức bộ máy nhà nước triều Nguyễn (1802 - 1884), Đổ Bang (chủ biên), Nguyễn Danh Phiệt, Nguyễn Quang Ngọc, Vũ Văn Quân, Nhà xuất bản Thuận Hóa, Huế, 1997. (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]])</ref><ref name="Ahvinhnghiem-State-of-Vietnam-1">[https://www.ahvinhnghiem.org/KhagTrienChoMinh.html Tưởng cũng cần nói, đại cương vua, quan có con dấu riêng gọi là bảo là tỷ là ấn, còn văn nhân, thi họa sĩ dùng con dấu riêng gọi là triện. Hình thức, triện vuông, tròn, chữ nhật, trái soan … tùy thích, triện nền trắng chữ son gọi là dương văn hay chu văn, ngược lại nền son chữ trắng gọi là âm văn hay bạch văn.] - Louisville, Published: 27-9-2013. Retrieved: 21 March 2021. (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]).</ref><ref>Thiều Chửu, ''Hán Việt Tự Điển'' Nhà xuất bản thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Published: 1993, trang (page) 71. (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]])</ref> In its 143 years of existence, the government of the Nguyễn dynasty had created more than 100 imperial seals.<ref name="VNBN-Seals">{{cite web|url= https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2016/02/no-royal-seal-left-in-hue-today/|title= No royal seal left in Hue today. VietNamNet Bridge – It is a great regret that none of more than 100 seals of the Nguyen emperors are in Hue City today. |date=10 February 2016|accessdate=8 March 2021|author= VietNamNet Bridge|publisher= VietNam Breaking News|language=en}}</ref> These imperial seals were made of [[jade]], [[bronze]], [[silver]], [[gold]], [[ivory]], and [[meteorite]]. Imperial seals typically have inscriptions written in the ancient [[seal script]], but by the later part of the Nguyễn dynasty period both [[Traditional Chinese characters]] and [[Latin script]] were used for some scripts. According to Dr. [[Phan Thanh Hải (historian)|Phan Thanh Hải]], Director of the [[Huế Monuments Conservation Centre]], at the end of the Nguyễn dynasty period the [[Imperial City of Huế|Purple Forbidden City]] contained a total of 93 jade and gold seals of which 2 seals were from the [[Nguyễn lords]] period made under Lord [[Nguyễn Phúc Chu]] (1691–1725) in 1709, 12 during the reign of Emperor [[Gia Long]] (1802–1820), 15 during the reign of Emperor [[Minh Mạng]] (1820–1841), 10 during the reign of Emperor [[Thiệu Trị]] (1841–1847), 15 during the reign of Emperor [[Tự Đức]] (1847–1883), 1 during the reign of Emperor [[Kiến Phúc]] (1883–1884), 1 during the reign of Emperor [[Hàm Nghi]] (1884–1885), 5 during the reign of Emperor [[Đồng Khánh]] (1885–1889), 10 during the reign of Emperor [[Thành Thái]] (1889–1907), 12 during the reign of Emperor [[Khải Định]] (1916–1925), and 8 during the reign of Emperor [[Bảo Đại]] (1925–1945).<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> Hải stated that as of 2016 that there were no more imperial seals left in the Nguyễn dynasty capital city of [[Huế]] with most being handed over to the government of the [[North Vietnam|Democratic Republic of Vietnam]] by Bảo Đại following his abdication in 1945 mostly now being in the hands of the [[National Museum of Vietnamese History]] in [[Hanoi]].<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> Dr. Phan Thanh Hải further stated that no imperial seals were produced during the reigns of Emperors [[Dục Đức]] (1883), [[Hiệp Hòa]] (1883), and [[Duy Tân]] (1907–1916).<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> == Overview == [[File:Sceau du Conseil secret - Cơ Mật Viện (機密院) 01.jpg|thumb|left|The seal of the [[Viện cơ mật]] ([[Nguyễn dynasty]], [[French Indochina]]) with [[transliteration]]s on the right to both [[Traditional Chinese characters]] and [[Vietnamese alphabet|Latin script]]. Government agencies and [[Mandarin (bureaucrat)|mandarins]] typically had their own seals.]] The Nguyễn dynasty's seal are rich and diverse in types and had strict rules and laws that regulated their manipulation, management, and use.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn">{{cite web|url= https://luutru.gov.vn/vai-tro-va-vi-tri-dong-dau-cua-cac-loai-an-tren-tai-lieu-chau-ban-trieu-nguyen-213-vtlt.htm|title= Vai trò và vị trí đóng dấu của các loại ấn trên tài liệu Châu bản triều Nguyễn. - 02:00 PM 10/01/2012 - Lượt xem: 931 - Trải qua các triều đại, ấn chương Việt Nam ngày càng phong phú về loại hình và hình thể.|date=10 January 2012|accessdate=4 April 2021|author= Ths. Đoàn Thu Thủy – Nguyễn Thu Hường|publisher= Cục Văn thư và Lưu trữ nhà nước (State Records And Archives Management Department Of VietNam)|language=vi}}</ref> The common practice of using seals was clearly recorded in the book "Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ" on how to use seals, how to place them, and on what kinds of documents, which was compiled by the Cabinet of the Nguyễn dynasty in the year Minh Mạng 3 (1822).<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Seals in the Nguyễn dynasty were overseen by a pair of agencies referred to as the [[Office of Ministry Seals Management - Officers on Duty]] (印司 - 直處, ''Ấn ty - Trực xứ''), this is a term that refers to two agencies which were established within each of the [[Three Departments and Six Ministries|Six Ministries]], these agencies were tasked with keeping track of the seals, files, and chapters of their ministry.<ref name="Đỗ-Văn-Ninh-2002">''Từ điển chức quan Việt Nam'', Đỗ Văn Ninh, 2002, trang 327 mục 571. Hộ ấn ty, hộ trực xứ (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]).</ref> On duty of the Office of Ministry Seals Management were the correspondents of each individual ministry that received and distributed documents and records of a government agency.<ref name="Đỗ-Văn-Ninh-2002"/> These two agencies usually had a few dozen officers who would import documents from their ministry.<ref name="Đỗ-Văn-Ninh-2002"/> Usually the name of the ministry is directly attached to the seal agency's name, for example "Office of Civil Affairs Ministry Seals Management - Civil Affairs Ministry Officers on Duty" (吏印司吏直處, ''Lại Ấn ty Lại Trực xứ'').<ref name="Đỗ-Văn-Ninh-2002"/> Seals were also given to people after they received a [[Vietnamese nobility|noble title]].<ref name="L’Association-des-Amis-du-Vieux-Huế-Baron-de-An-Bình-1">{{cite web|url= https://www.aavh.org/?p=681|title= AP0670-Sogny-Marien. Titre : Hué, 1939 – Léon Sogny est élevé à la dignité nobiliaire de baron d’An Binh (13).|date=17 September 2013|accessdate=24 March 2021|author= Christophe|publisher= L’Association des Amis du Vieux Huế|language=fr}}</ref> For example after Léon Louis Sogny received the title of "[[Baron]] of An Bình" (安平男) in the year Bảo Đại 14 (保大拾肆年, 1939) he was also given a golden seal and a '' [[Bai (decoration)|Kim Bài]]'' (金牌) with his noble title on it. The seal had the seal script inscription ''An Bình Nam chi ấn'' (安平男之印).<ref name="L’Association-des-Amis-du-Vieux-Huế-Baron-de-An-Bình-2">{{cite web|url= https://www.aavh.org/?p=689|title= AP0678-Sogny-Marien. Titre : Hué, 1939 – Léon Sogny est élevé à la dignité nobiliaire de baron d’An Binh (12).|date=17 September 2013|accessdate=24 March 2021|author= Christophe|publisher= L’Association des Amis du Vieux Huế|language=fr}}</ref> === Terminology === The various seals of the Nguyễn dynasty had different names based on their function, namely Bảo (寶), Tỷ (璽), Ấn (印), Chương (章), Ấn chương (印章), Kim bảo tỷ (金寶璽), Quan phòng (關防), Đồ ký (圖記), Kiềm ký (鈐記), Tín ký (信記), Ấn Ký (印記), Trưởng ký (長記), and Ký (記).<ref name="Vietnam-Breaking-News-2011">{{cite web|url= https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2011/10/seals-of-nguyen-dynasty-showcased/|title= Seals of Nguyen Dynasty showcased. Around 140 seals of the Nguyen Dynasty are displayed at an exhibition which opened in Hanoi on October 12.|date=13 October 2011|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= english.cinet.vn|publisher= VietNam Breaking News (UPDATE LATEST NEWS FROM VIETNAM) |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Since the Nguyễn dynasty period seals have a fairly uniform shape (with or without a handle), the uniform description of these seals in Vietnamese are:<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/3101/18676/an-trien-djong-trieu-nguyen.html|title= Ấn triện đồng triều Nguyễn. - Ấn triện bằng đồng là loại liên quan đến uy quyền. Vua Nguyễn cấp ấn triện cho những bề tôi là để ban ủy quyền cho các bề tôi thay mặt vua cai trị dân. Nghiên cứu về ấn triện bằng đồng thời Nguyễn sẽ hiểu thêm về hệ thống quan chức triều Nguyễn cũng như nhiều vấn đề khác liên quan.|date=14 October 2015|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= Lan Phương (Tổng hợp)|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref> * ''Thân ấn'' - The geometric block, or body, of the seal.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> * ''[[Seal knob|Núm ấn]]'' - The handle for pressing the seal down down on texts. In case the seal is shaped like a pyramid, there is no knob.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> * ''Mặt ấn'' - Where the main content of the seal (symbol or word) is engraved, this area is usually in the face down position. The stamp surface is often used up to engrave letters or drawings.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> * ''Lưng ấn'' - The face of the seal, where other information about the seal is engraved, usually in the supine position. In the case of the flat-head pyramid seal (''ấn triện hình tháp đầu bằng''), the flat head is the back.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> * ''Hình ấn'' - A word used to indicate the impression of the seal on a text.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> == Seals of the Nguyễn lords == [[File:Seal of Nguyễn Lords.svg|thumb|right|Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo (大越國阮主永鎮之寶, "Seal of the eternal government of the [[Nguyễn Lords]] of the kingdom of [[Names of Vietnam|Great(er) Viêt]]").]] The first known seal of the [[Nguyễn lords]] had the inscription ''Trấn thủ tướng quân chi ấn'' (鎮守將軍之印, "Seal of the guardian general") and is found on letters signed by the ''An Nam quốc thiên hạ thống đô nguyên soái Thụy quốc công'' (安南國天下統兵都元帥瑞國公).<ref name="BBC-News-Paris-Vietnamese-artifacts-2015">{{cite web|url= https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/forum/2015/09/150903_vua_bao_dai_va_an_kiem|title= Bảo Đại trao kiếm giả cho 'cách mạng'? Mùa thu năm trước Bảo tàng Lịch sử Việt Nam mang chuông sang gióng ở thủ đô Pháp.|date=4 september 2015|accessdate= April 2021|author= Phạm Cao Phong (Gửi cho BBC từ [[Paris]]) |publisher= [[BBC News]] ([[British Broadcasting Corporation]], [[Government of the United Kingdom]]) |language=vi}}</ref>{{Efn|Vietnam was commonly referred to as "[[Names of Vietnam#History|Annam]]" (安南) until the mid-20th century by most foreigners, hence the use of this name when dealing with foreign governments.}} This seal is known to have been produced under [[Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên]] and was used on documents created when interacting with the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] ([[Edo period]] [[Japan]]).<ref name="BBC-News-Paris-Vietnamese-artifacts-2015"/> This is one of the few lost seals of the Nguyễn (alongside the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'') and the little evidence of its existence is found on a document with this seal attached to it dated with the reign era of Emperor [[Lê Dụ Tông]] of [[Bắc Hà]] is kept at the Japanese archives in the [[Edo Castle]], [[Tokyo]].<ref name="BBC-News-Paris-Vietnamese-artifacts-2015"/> In the year 1709 Nguyễn lord [[Nguyễn Phúc Chu]] ordered the creation of a golden seal, this seal was 108 by 108 by 63 millimeters in dimensions.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo">{{cite web|url= http://carnetdephilippe.canalblog.com/archives/2010/06/03/18111800.html|title= LE SCEAU DE TRANSMISSION DE L’EMPIRE : ĐẠI VIỆT QUỐC NGUYỄN CHÚA VĨNH TRẤN CHI BẢO, DATANT DU SEIGNEUR NGUYỄN PHÚC CHU (1709). - Nguyễn Phúc Chu (10.07.1675 - 01.06.1725) succéda à son père, Nguyễn Phúc Trăn (1687-1691), comme seigneur du royaume du Sud en 1693 sous le titre de Quốc Chúa.|date=3 June 2010|accessdate=18 March 2021|author= Philippe Truong|publisher= Les Carnets de Philippe Truong|language=fr}}</ref><ref name="Baotanglichsu-Đại-Việt-Quốc-Nguyễn-chúa-Vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/1001/28552/bao-vat-quoc-gia-an-vang-truyen-quoc-cua-chua-nguyen-phuc-chu-nam-1709.html|title= Bảo vật quốc gia: Ấn vàng truyền quốc của chúa Nguyễn Phúc Chu năm 1709. - Đây là chiếc ấn có niên đại sớm nhất trong lịch sử tồn tại của vương triều Nguyễn. Ấn được đúc vào năm 1709, đời chúa Nguyễn Phúc Chu (1691 – 1725). Ấn có hình vuông, kích thước như sau: cao 630cm; dài cạnh10,84cm; dày 1,10cm; trọng lượng 2.350gr.|date=7 December 2017|accessdate=28 March 2021|author= Đinh Phương Châm (Phòng QLHV)|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref> It bears the inscription ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' (大越國阮主永鎮之寶, "Seal of the eternal government of the Nguyễn Lords of the kingdom of [[Names of Vietnam|Great(er) Viêt]]"; Modern Vietnamese: ''Bảo của chúa Nguyễn nước Đại Việt trấn giữ lâu dài'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-Lords-seal">{{cite web|url= http://thegioidisan.vn/vi/an-vang-dai-viet-quoc-nguyen-chua-vinh-tran-chi-bao.html|title= Ấn vàng "Đại Việt Quốc Nguyễn chúa Vĩnh Trần Chi Bảo" - 12/07/2017 18:07 - Quả ấn này đã được Chính phủ công nhận là Bảo vật Quốc gia năm 2016 và hiện nay đang được trưng bày tại Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quốc gia, cùng với những bảo vật khác đang được lưu giữ tại đây, với sự đón nhận hào hứng của công chúng, kể từ khi Phòng Trưng bày này được khai trương vào xuân Đinh Dậu 2017. Như vậy, giá trị của chiếc ấn này đã được khẳng định, theo đó, bài viết của tôi chỉ giới thiệu đôi nét về một hiện tượng khác lạ trong hai triều đại kế tiếp nhau của lịch sử cổ trung đại nước nhà, thông qua chiếc ấn đặc biệt ấy.|date=12 July 2017|accessdate=19 March 2021|author= TS. Phạm Quốc Quân |publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref><ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> This seal classifies Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu as a [[Mandarin (bureaucrat)|mandarin]] of the 2nd military rank.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> While the Nguyễn lords were nominally sovereign for over a century at this point, they hadn't commissioned the creation of a national seal before 1709.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> On the left side of the seal was the legend ''Kê bát thập kim, lục hốt tứ lạng tứ tiền tâm phân'' (80% pure gold, weighing 6 lingots, 4 and 4/10 and 3/100 [[tael]] (= 64,43 taels = 2364 g) ), while on the right side of the seal is the inscription ''Vĩnh Thịnh ngũ niên thập nhị nguyệt sơ lực nhật tạo'' (Created on the 6th day of the 12th month of the 5th year of the Vĩnh Thịnh era (or the year 1709 in the [[Gregorian calendar]])).<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> The reason why Nguyễn Phúc Chu decided to use the era name of Emperor [[Lê Dụ Tông]] was because the Nguyễn lords, who ruled over [[Đàng Trong|Inner Vietnam]], were nominally the vassals of the [[Revival Lê dynasty]] ([[Later Lê dynasty]]) in [[Đàng Ngoài|Outer Vietnam]] and used their reign eras and titles as a sign of submission.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> Nine other characters were engraved on the back edge of the base of the seal ''Lại bộ Đồng Tri Qua Tuệ Thư giám tạo'' ("Qua Tuệ Thư, dignitary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in charge of the supervision of the works").<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> As another sign of submission, the seal features a large golden [[Chinese guardian lions|imperial guardian lion]] as its [[seal knob]], a heraldic element and common [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] symbol, as opposed to an [[Vietnamese dragon|imperial dragon]] symbolising imperial power.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> The guardian lion appears with a grinning head, protruding eyes, a half-open mouth revealing two sharp fangs, a curly mane, and a bushy tail.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> The ball on which the male lion's paw rests is believed to contain his vital essence. For some, the ball exemplifies the triumph of the spirit over brute force.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> For [[Zen Buddhism|Zen Buddhists]], it represents the unsurpassable or total perfection, Perfect Truth, full knowledge of [[Dharma]].<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> Others see in this object the "wish-granting pearl", one of the "[[Eight Treasures]]" which symbolizes purity.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> While Nguyễn Phúc Chu requested the [[Kangxi Emperor]] of the [[Qing dynasty]] to recognise the independence of the Nguyễn lords country, and was rejected, he kept using a seal with the inscription ''Tổng trấn Tướng quân chi ấn'' ("Seal of the [[governor-general]]") on documents and dating them with the Lê dynasty calendar.<ref name="Paul-Boudet-Archives">Paul Boudet, « Les archives des empereurs d’Annam et l’histoire annamite », Bulletin des Amis du Vieux Huê, n°3, juillet-septembre 1942, pl. XLV-XLVII (in [[French language|French]]).</ref><ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> During the reign of Nguyễn Phúc Chu the Nguyễn would continue to refer to themselves as "Lords" (主) as opposed to the [[Trịnh lords]] who already called themselves "Kings" (王) at this point in time.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> While the Nguyễn lords were gifted a seal with the inscription ''Tổng trấn Tướng quân chi ấn'' by the Revival Lê dynasty before to use in communications between them and the imperial court, but in 1744 [[Nguyễn Phúc Khoát]] proclaimed himself a "[[King]]" (王, ''Vương'') and started using a seal with the inscription ''Quốc Vương chi ấn'' (國王之印, "Seal of the King of the nation") instead.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> The ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' seal was lost and recovered several times during the many wars fought by the Nguyễn lords, including being lost in a river once when the Lordly Nguyễn army was in retreat.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Đại-Việt-Quốc-Nguyễn-chúa-Vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> The ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' was seen as a precious family [[heirloom]] and was kept passed down the Nguyễn family long after the Nguyễn lords were ousted by the [[Tây Sơn dynasty]] and was later the imperial seal of the Nguyễn dynasty until the 1840s.<ref name="Paul-Boudet-Archives"/><ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-Lords-seal"/> When [[Nguyễn Phúc Ánh]] declared himself King of the Revival Nguyễn Lords state in 1780 in [[Ho Chi Minh City|Saigon]], he used the ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' seal and the Cảnh Hưng era date of the Revival Lê dynasty state to showcase his allegiance to the Lê when fighting the Tây Sơn.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Đại-Việt-Quốc-Nguyễn-chúa-Vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> The ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' seal was used by [[Gia Long]] on a funeral prayer document for [[Pigneau de Béhaine]] now preserved in [[Paris]].<ref name="Paul-Boudet-Archives"/><ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> == Seals during the Nguyễn dynasty period == [[File:Kim bảo Quốc gia tín bảo (國家信寶) Vietnamese Archives.jpg|thumb|left|An impression of the Quốc gia tín bảo (國家信寶) seal on a document dated to the [[Gia Long]] period.]] === Imperial seals === After becoming Emperor in 1802 with the establishment of the [[Nguyễn dynasty]], Emperor [[Gia Long]] decided to continue using the ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' seal.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-Lords-seal"/><ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> It was carefully kept in a box out of sight and, unlike the other imperial seals, kept in the [[Trung Hoà Palace]], the sovereign's personal residence located in the [[Imperial City of Huế|Purple Forbidden City]].<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> The imperial seal was not presented to court until the enthronement of a new sovereign.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> According to the historian [[Lê Văn Lan]] the Emperors of the Nguyễn Dynasty, like the earlier monarchs of Vietnam, all took their seals as the symbol of the supreme governmental power of both themselves and the monarchy as a whole.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> Besides the imperial seals that were used in government administration, there were also special seals carved that symbolise titles, which usually went with a golden book (or "[[Kim Sách]]"), specific seals for worship ceremonies (for dead Emperors), or special seals that were exclusively stamped on poems or paintings.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> Because the Emperors of the Nguyễn dynasty were all personally very much involved in the affairs of the state they produced a large number of seals each for very specific functions and most could be handed over to their successors.<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals">{{cite web|url= https://read01.com/QN8odE.html#.YFw4PN8o80P|title= 權利的象徵玉璽：細數越南阮朝皇帝寶璽 - 2016/06/27 來源：越南故事館 - 越南末代王朝皇帝寶璽制度.|date=27 June 2016|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= 文：鄧誠|publisher= 壹讀|language=zh-tw}}</ref> These seals sometimes only represent the emperor himself as an individual, and sometimes they also act as representatives of the imperial court.<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> From the content of the seals used by the Emperors privately, it can be seen that the numerous different seals of the Nguyễn Empire were used on different occasions.<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> In the third month of the year ''Bính Tý'', or Gia Long 15 (1816), Emperor Gia Long instructed the court to create special clothes, hats, and seals for himself and the crown prince to denote independence from China.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Rồng-5-móng">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/2001/66160/giai-ma-rong-5-mong-cua-nha-nguyen.html|title= Giải mã 'rồng 5 móng' của nhà Nguyễn. Để thể hiện tính độc lập giữa Hoàng đế Việt Nam và các nước láng giềng, Vua Gia Long đã có chỉ dụ về quy định các hình thêu, đúc rồng trên trang phục, đồ dùng của vua và hoàng thái tử chỉ được thêu rồng 5 móng, khác với rồng 4 móng của Trung Hoa.|date=3 June 2012|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= Bee (baodatviet.vn) |publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref> These regalia all depicted [[Chinese dragon#Dragon claws|five-clawed dragons]] (蠪𠄼𤔻, ''rồng 5 móng''), in Chinese symbolism (including Vietnamese symbolism) five-clawed dragons are symbols of an Emperor, while four-clawed dragons are seen as symbols or kings.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Rồng-5-móng"/> To denote the high status of Emperor all monarchial robes, hats, and seals were adorned with five-clawed dragons and ordered the creation of new seals with five-clawed dragons as their seal knobs to showcase imperial legitimacy.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Rồng-5-móng"/> Meanwhile the wardrobes and other symbols of vassals and prices were adorned with four-clawed dragons symbolising their status as "kings".<ref>[[Đại Nam thực lục]] chính biên, trang 921 tập 1 NXB Giáo dục 2002. (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]).</ref><ref name="Baotanglichsu-Rồng-5-móng"/> During the reign of Gia Long seals were produced with the inscriptions ''Chế cáo chi bảo'' (制誥之寶), ''Quốc gia tín bảo'' (國家信寶), ''Mệnh đức chi bảo'' (命德之寶), ''Phong tặng chi bảo'' (封贈之寶), ''Sắc chính vạn dân chi bảo'' (敕正萬民之寶), ''Thảo tội an dân chi bảo'' (討罪安民之寶), ''Trị lịch minh thời chi bảo'' (治歷明時之寶), and ''Ngự tiền chi bảo'' (御前之寶).<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> During the reign of the [[Minh Mạng]] Emperor many kinds of seals were made from different materials, each for specific purposes.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016">{{cite web|url= https://m.kienthuc.net.vn/tham-cung/he-lo-nhung-chiec-an-dac-biet-cua-vua-chua-viet-639579.html|title= Hé lộ những chiếc ấn đặc biệt của vua chúa Việt. - 07:00 23/02/2016 - Trong các triều đại phong kiến Việt Nam, có rất nhiều loại ấn tín khác nhau, trong đó không thể không nhắc đến những ấn tín có xuất xứ khá đặc biệt.|date=23 February 2016|accessdate=21 March 2021|author= Lê Thái Dũng|publisher= Kiến Thức|language=vi}}</ref> Inscriptions used by [[List of Vietnamese dynasties|previous dynasties]] were at times also re-used when producing new imperial seals.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/en/Articles/3188/19387/the-golden-royal-seal-sac-menh-chi-bao-october-8th-year-of-minh-menh-reign-1827.html|title= The golden royal seal "Sac menh chi bao", October, 8th year of Minh Menh reign, 1827. The first Sac menh chi bao royal seal is said to be made in Tran dynasty in wooden material. This seal belonged to King Tran Thai Tong (1225 - 1258) and used for ordering or declaring royal ordinances in the early time of the resistance war against the first invasion of Chinese - Yuan dynasty to Dai Viet (1258).|date=24 July 2016|accessdate=28 March 2021|author= Dinh Phuong Cham (original Vietnamese) - Tran Trang (English)|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=en}}</ref> For example an imperial seal with the inscription ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' (敕命之寶) was first created at the time of the [[Mongol invasions of Vietnam|Mongol invasions of Đại Việt and Champa]] during the reign of [[Trần Thái Tông]] of the [[Trần dynasty]] and was used to stamp documents ordering or declaring royal (or imperial) ordinances during the early days of the war.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo"/> The Trần dynasty period ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' seal was made of wood, but later versions of the ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' were primarily made of silver and gold.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo"/> Precious metal ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' seals were made during [[Later Lê dynasty|Later Lê]], [[Mạc dynasty|Mạc]], [[Revival Lê dynasty|Revival Lê]], and [[Tây Sơn dynasty|Tây Sơn dynasties]].<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo"/> Under Minh Mạng a ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' seal was made for the Nguyễn dynasty, this seal was used on imperial ordinances until 1945.<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo"/> Furthermore, the seals of the Nguyễn lords such as the ''Thủ tín thiên hạ văn vũ quyền hành'' (取信天下文武權行, "Win the trust of [[Tianxia|all under heaven]], seal for military texts.") also remained in common use until the year Minh Mạng 9.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> It wasn't until the year Minh Mạng (1822) that rules were laid out for how, when, and where seals had to be used on official documents.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Modern scholarship based on the books "Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ" and "Minh Mệnh chính yếu" concluded that the the first stamps of a document were reserved for the ''Thủ tín thiên hạ văn vũ quyền hành'', ''Quốc gia tín bảo'', ''Văn lý mật sát'', ''Ngự tiền chi bảo''.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> These imperial seals were all cast in either gold or silver and were considered to be national treasures.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Gold seals were often prominently placed on the era dates to signify the importance of the Emperor and the official nature of the document.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> The ''Văn lý mật sát'' seal was used to enclose important words, corrections, and revisions of different versions, threads, chapters, and books.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> The role of this precaution was to re-verify the corrections, fixes, additions, and to avoid unlawful fabrication.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Separate rules also existed for when a seal was allowed to be stamped with either red ink or black ink.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> [[File:Golden seal Sắc mệnh chi bảo.jpg|thumb|right|The golden ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' (敕命之寶) seal of the Nguyễn dynasty, on display at the [[National Museum of Vietnamese History]], [[Hanoi]].]] During the reign of Emperor [[Thiệu Trị]], 2 large jade stones were found in the year Thiệu Trị 4 (1844), these two large jade stones were presented to the imperial court by the people and the Emperor commissioned two jade seals to be created from these stones, namely the ''Thần hàn chi tỷ'' (宸翰之璽) and the ''Đại Nam Hoàng Đế chi tỷ'' (大南皇帝之璽).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> Emperor Thiệu Trị commissioned a new imperial seal to replace the ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' seal as the imperial seal in the year 1846, this seal had the inscription ''Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ'' (大南受天永命傳國璽, "The [[Names of Vietnam|Great South]] has the eternal [[Mandate of Heaven]], jade seal for the transmission of the legacy of the Empire").<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> The modern Vietnamese reading of the inscription is ''Ngọc Tỷ truyền quốc của nước Đại Nam, nhận mệnh lâu dài từ trời''.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> The creation of the heirloom seal started in 1846 and was made within one year's time.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/en/Articles/3188/18692/jade-royal-seals-of-the-nguyen-dynasty.html|title= Jade royal seals of the Nguyen dynasty. The collection of the royal seals of the Nguyen dynasty belonged to the royal wares includes many types of materials such as gold, silver and jade... Those objects implicate important landmarks of the history of the Nguyen dynasty in particular and Vietnam in general.|date=16 October 2015|accessdate=20 March 2021|author= Ph.D Nguyen Dinh Chien (Former Deputy Director of the VNMH). EN: Tran Trang|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> According to the historical records during the year of the [[Horse (zodiac)|Horse]] (năm Bính Ngọ), or the 6th year of Thiệu Trị's reign (1846), while some people were searching for gold and precious stones in Ngọc mountain, [[Hòa Điền District]], [[Quảng Nam Province]], they dug up a very large piece of jade that extremely brilliant and shiny.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> After their discovery they had offered to the Emperor.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> Upon receiving the large and rare jade the Thiệu Trị Emperor saw it as an auspicious omen and ordered a new seal to be [[Seal carving|carved from it]].<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> This became the ''Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ'' seal.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> After a year's worth of effort and talent, the engraver had finished making the seal and offered it to Thiệu Trị.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> Upon receiving the heirloom seal Thiệu Trị immediately held a large [[Đại tự]] ceremony to confer that he had the Mandate of Heaven and prayed to have a long and prosperous reign.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> After the ceremony was completed the new heirloom seal was ordered to be stored in the Trung Hòa Palace in the [[Palace of Heavenly Purity, Huế|Palace of Heavenly Purity]] (Cung Càn Thành) complex alongside the ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' heirloom seal of the Nguyễn lords.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> It had a handle in shape of a rolling dragon, it is 14.5 cm high, 13x12.7 wide, and 4.25 cm thick.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> It has the words meaning "Day 15, month 3 year Thiệu Trị 7" (紹治七年三月十五日, Thiệu Trị thất niên tam nguyệt thập ngũ nhật) carved into it.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/><ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> On the left side of the heirloom seal it is engraved with the Chinese characters "Đắc thượng cát lễ thành phụng chỉ cung tuyên" (得尚吉禮成奉旨恭鐫, Modern Vietnamese: '' Được ngày lành lễ Đại tự đã làm xong phụng chỉ khắc'').<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> On the head of the dragon on the top of the seal, it has the words carved "To serve in Nam Giao (南郊) ceremony" (南郊大禮邸告, Nam Giao đại lễ để cáo; Modern Vietnamese: ''Để tế cáo Đại lễ Đàn Nam Giao'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/><ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> This heirloom seal is said to be the biggest and most valuable among the ones produced by the imperial family of the Nguyễn dynasty.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> The ''Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ'' was used for diplomatic decrees and it was protected by the dynasty as an extremely valuable treasure.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> During the reign of the [[Tự Đức]] Emperor the Nguyễn dynasty lost the [[Cochinchina campaign]] against the joint [[second French Empire|Franco]]-[[History of Spain (1810–1873)|Hispanic]] forces and were forced to pay [[Indemnity|indemnities]].<ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn">{{cite web|url= http://carnetdephilippe.canalblog.com/archives/2009/09/26/15214571.html|title= QUELQUES OBJETS EN OR DES NGUYEN (1802-1945) RETROUVES EN EUROPE (1). - Article en vietnamien « Bảo vật của triề Nguyễn ở Châu Âu » de Philippe TRUONG et Trần Đức Anh Sơn paru dans Huế Xưa Nay (n°93, mai-juin 2009) et Thông Tinh Di Sản (n°2, juillet 2009).|date=26 September 2009|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= Trần Đức Anh Sơn|publisher= Les Carnets de Philippe Truong|language=vi}}</ref> Because the national treasury did not have enough gold bullion to pay, Emperor Tự Đức had to recover some gold and silver treasures that were displayed in the palaces to pay the French and Spanish.<ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn"/> In the year 1869, the Tự Đức Emperor had ordered the princes (''hoàng thân'' and ''hoàng tử'') princesses (''công chúa'') to return the seals and needles that the imperial court had previously given them.<ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn"/> After that, the Tự Đức Emperor had "renovated" (reissued) their items in the form of bronze seals and needles.<ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn"/> From this point only the Emperor and his direct offspring used golden seals, some members of the imperial family were allowed to use silver seals, while mandarins of all ranks from the highest to the District-level mandarins used bronze seals.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> At the commune-level, mandarins used wooden seals.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Under the Tự Đức Emperor a round [[ivory]] seal with the 12 character inscription ''Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo'' (歡奉五大同堂一統紹治之寶) written in 4 lines was created.<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty">{{cite web|url= http://topluatsu.com/nhung-con-dau-tron-dau-tien-cua-nuoc-viet-nam.html|title= Những con đấu tròn đầu tiên của nước Việt Nam. - Tháng Mười 20, 2017 - 1. Dưới đời Thiệu Trị, nhân lễ Ngũ đại đồng đường năm 1846-1847, nhà vua cho làm Bảo ấn: Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo (ảnh 4). Ấn chạm bằng ngà, quai hình rồng đứng trong mây, tiện nhiều cấp hình tròn. Mặt ấn hình tròn, đường kính 10cm8. Diềm ngoài rộng 5cm khắc hình lưỡng long chầu nguyệt. Bên trong khắc nổi 12 chữ Triện theo 4 dòng: Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo. Đây là Bảo ấn ghi lại niềm vui của nhà vua và hoàng gia, một trường hợp khá đặc biệt trong triều nhà Nguyễn.|date=20 October 2017|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= Bình Luận|publisher= Topluatsu.vn (THÀNH LẬP DOANH NGHIỆP TP VINH, NGHỆ AN, HÀ TĨNH)|language=vi}}</ref> The seal knob of this ivory seal is shaped like a dragon holding a wish-granting pearl.<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> This seal was used on documents that record the joys and pleasures of the Emperor and the imperial family.<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Sometime after the abdication of the [[Hàm Nghi]] Emperor an octagonal version of the golden ''Ngự tiền chi bảo'' (御前之寶) seal was created, this seal was usually stamped with the two Chinese characters "khâm thử" to indicate that a grammatical or other kind of error was present in the text.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Before the creation of this octagonal seal the ''Ngự tiền chi bảo'' was always oval in shape.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> [[File:Sapèque d'Honneur classe exceptionnelle pour Jules Garnoux (7e année de Khai Dinh).png|thumb|left|A [[Sapèque d'Honneur]] ("[[Vietnamese cash|Cash coin]] of Honour") certificate issued to [[Jules Garnoux]], it displays two different seals used by the [[Khải Định]] Emperor using [[Traditional Chinese characters]] and one using [[Latin script]] rather than the traditionally used ancient seal script, also notice that different seals were used for the French and Vietnamese ([[Classical Chinese]]) texts of the document. Dated Khải Định 7 (1922).]] In 1886, under the reign of the [[Đồng Khánh]] Emperor, the [[Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam]] was established,<ref name="Wyllie-IODA-establishment">{{cite book|last=Wyllie|first=Robert E|title=Orders, Decorations and Insignia, Military and Civil, With the History and Romance of their Origin and a Full Description of Each|year=1921|publisher=G. P. Putnam's sons|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/ordersdecoration00wyllrich/page/132 132]–33|url=https://archive.org/details/ordersdecoration00wyllrich|quote=Colonial Orders-These are orders pertaining to and established by the native rulers of the various colonies and protectorates of France. They are recognized by the French government and are awarded for services rendered in or for the different colonies. In time of peace ten years of service for a colony is required before admission to one of the orders...They have the same classes as the Legion of Honour and no one can be given a grade higher than Officer in any of them unless he is a member of the Legion neither can he be made a Grand Officer if he is not at least an Officer of the Legion nor can he be given the Grand Cross of a colonial order, unless he is a Commander of the Legion...The Order of the Dragon of Annam...The Royal Order of Cambodia.}}</ref> which featured a blue enamel with the design of a seal reading ''Đồng Khánh Hoàng Đế'' (同慶皇帝) in seal script.<ref name=Wyllie-IODA-Design>{{cite book|last=Wyllie|first=Robert E|title=Orders, Decorations and Insignia, Military and Civil, With the History and Romance of their Origin and a Full Description of Each|year=1921|publisher=G. P. Putnam's sons|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/ordersdecoration00wylluoft/page/132 132]–33|url=https://archive.org/details/ordersdecoration00wylluoft|quote=The badge is an eight pointed star of rays emanating from a central medallion of blue enamel bearing four characters in the Annamese writing Dong Khang Hoang De in gold and four figures representing radiant suns also in gold surrounded by a band of red enamel tricked in gold. The badge is surmounted by an imperial crown and above that is a dragon of green enamel forming the ring for suspension. The ribbon is green with orange edges. The star for Grand Officers and Grand Cross has the dragon in the centre of the rays holding the medallion before it in its four claws.}}</ref> Following the unexpected death of the Đồng Khánh Emperor a successor was chosen by the French and the court-mandarins in the form of [[Thành Thái|Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Lân, Prince Quang Thái]], who became the Thành Thái Emperor.<ref name="Historic-Vietnam-Death-of-the-Đồng-Khánh-Emperor">{{cite web|url= http://www.historicvietnam.com/dong-khanh-thanh-tai/|title= “The Illness and Death of King Dong-Khanh – Proclamation and Coronation of King Thanh-Thai – Organisation of the Council of Regency,” Le Temps, 26 March 1889.|date=5 November 2016|accessdate=27 March 2021|author= Tim Doling, the author of the guidebook Exploring Huế (Nhà Xuất Bản Thế Giới, Hà Nội, 2018).|publisher= Historicvietnam.com|language=en}}</ref> The [[Directorate of Imperial Observatory]] declared 1 February as a most auspicious day for the enthronement.<ref name="Historic-Vietnam-Death-of-the-Đồng-Khánh-Emperor"/> On 31 January 1889, according to rites, the young prince had made his ''lais'' to his ancestors in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and he then received the [[regalia]] of the Nguyễn dynasty.<ref name="Historic-Vietnam-Death-of-the-Đồng-Khánh-Emperor"/> However, Thành Thái should also have received the jade heirloom seal known as the ''Ngọc-Bi'' on this day, but this seal was removed from the palace by Hàm Nghi during his flight from the capital and was subsequently lost in the mountains of the [[Quảng Bình Province]].<ref name="Historic-Vietnam-Death-of-the-Đồng-Khánh-Emperor"/> During the reign of the [[Duy Tân]] Emperor a secret wooden seal with the inscription ''Tải Toả Võ Công'' (載纘武功, "Continue military works") was created for documents related to the Vietnamese independence movement against French occupation.<ref name="L’Association-des-Amis-du-Vieux-Huế-Duy-Tân-sceau-secrete">{{cite web|url= http://www.aavh.org/?p=831|title= AP0820-Sogny-Marien. Titre : Hué, 1916 – Le sceau secret de l’empereur Duy Tan.|date=17 September 2013|accessdate=20 March 2021|author= Christophe|publisher= L’Association des Amis du Vieux Huế|language=fr}}</ref> [[Léon Sogny]], director of security in Huế, wrote about it in a letter in which he claimed that the seal was discovered by the [[Khải Định]] Emperor.<ref name="L’Association-des-Amis-du-Vieux-Huế-Duy-Tân-sceau-secrete"/> Furthermore Sogny noted thay some of the seal script characters characters resemble those of a seal produced under Nguyễn Ánh (the future Gia Long Emperor) when he was fighting against the [[Tây Sơn Rebellion]] in an effort "to reconquer the Kingdom".<ref name="L’Association-des-Amis-du-Vieux-Huế-Duy-Tân-sceau-secrete"/> Until the reign of the Khải Định Emperor most jade, silver, golden seals as well as the ''kim sách'' and ''ngân sách'' were kept at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, these were all strictly confidential.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011">{{cite web|url= https://m.vietnamnet.vn/vn/tin-nhanh/quoc-an-cua-vua-bao-dai-luu-lac-o-phap-14732.html|title= Quốc ấn của vua Bảo Đại lưu lạc ở Pháp? - 31/03/2011 - 06:25 - Sau khi Hoàng hậu Nam Phương qua đời (1963), quốc ấn Hoàng đế Chi Bửu nằm trong tay Hoàng thái tử Bảo Long. Khoảng năm 1982, sau ngày Bảo Đại làm giấy hôn thú với bà Monique Baudot (người Pháp), ông nhận lại chiếc ấn từ con trai mình. Từ đó, không còn thấy ai nhắc gì tới chiếc ấn này nữa.|date=|accessdate=24 March 2021|author= Đất Việt|publisher= VietnamNet.vn|language=vi}}</ref> Without the orders of the Emperor nobody was allowed to open or even touch the seals.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> Every year, just before before [[Tết Nguyên Đán]], the Emperor would order the mandarins to perform the ''Phất thức'' ceremony and open all the caskets and then inventorise the treasures inside of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> After opening the casket the Mandarins would wash each seal with fragrant water and then use a [[cashew]] cloth to dry it and return it back to their original place.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> During the Khải Định period imperial seals with inscriptions written in [[Traditional Chinese characters]] instead of seal script began to be carved.<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Around 1942 archivist and autodidact [[Paul Boudet (archivist)|Paul Boudet]], who was director of the archives and libraries of French Indochina, was granted access to all palaces and libraries of the Nguyễn dynasty in the Forbidden City by the [[Bảo Đại]] Emperor.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Palace-of-Heavenly-Purity-1942">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/3096/18835/ky-1-kham-pha-cac-kho-bau-co-vat-trong-kinh-thanh-hue.html|title= Kỳ 1: Khám phá các “kho báu” cổ vật trong Kinh thành Huế. - Triều đại phong kiến vua Nguyễn cuối cùng tại Huế đã trải qua với bao biến cố lịch sử. Hàng vạn cổ vật quý hiếm đi cùng triều đại này hiện đã mất mát quá nhiều, không còn “ở lại” được trên mảnh đất nó đã từng tồn tại. |date=7 December 2015|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= Đại Dương|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref> Bảo Đại allowed him to study and record all the treasures stored in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Palace-of-Heavenly-Purity-1942"/> Precious items were moved out of cabinets and boxes for him to read, take notes about, and take pictures of.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Palace-of-Heavenly-Purity-1942"/> According to Paul Boudet there were 46 gold and jade seals belonging to the Emperors and Empresses stored in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, as well as 26 ''Kim Sách''.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Palace-of-Heavenly-Purity-1942"/> Paul Boudet published his research and findings in ''Les Archives des Empereurs d’Annam et l’histoire annamite'' ([[Hanoi]], IDEO, 1942).<ref name="Vietnamese-Archives-under-French-Dominion">{{cite web|url= http://www.archives.org.vn/gioi-thieu-tai-lieu-nghiep-vu/co-vat-viet-nam-va-noi-dau-thoi-can-dai.htm|title= Cổ vật Việt Nam và nỗi đau thời cận đại. - 08:58 PM 11/10/2020 - Sau Hiệp ước Thiên Tân ký ngày 11-5-1884 giữa Thiếu tá Hải quân Fournier (đại diện nước Pháp) và phó vương Lý Hồng Chương (đại diện Trung Hoa), hòa ước Giáp Thân ngày 6-6-1884 đã được ký tại Huế, công nhận Pháp được quyền “bảo hộ” Việt Nam. Từ đó, lịch sử Việt Nam bắt đầu bước vào những trang đen tối. Cổ vật Việt Nam – những hiện vật có giá trị tiêu biểu về lịch sử, văn hóa, khoa học có hàng trăm năm tuổi của dân tộc, một phần chân dung của lịch sử Việt Nam đã bị cướp phá, hủy hoại trắng trợn dưới bàn tay của những tên lính thực dân tham lam và tàn bạo.|date=11 October 2020|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= TS. Đào Thị Diến|publisher= Trung tâm Lưu trữ quốc gia I (National Archives Nr. 1, Hanoi) - Cục Văn thư và Lưu trữ nhà nước (State Records And Archives Management Department Of Việt Nam)|language=vi}}</ref> === Bronze seals of government employees === Bronze seals, known as ''chương'', ''tín chương'' (until 1832), ''ấn'', and ''quan phòng'', among others, were seals made for government employees and government offices of all levels.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Bronze seals were often created as a pair together with an additional small reserve seal called a ''dấu kiềm''.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> The inscriptions of the ''dấu kiềm'' were identical to that of the main bronze seal.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> The seals of middle-level and low-level mandarins were called ''ký'', ''kiềm ký'' and ''được'' and were mainly made of bronze or wood.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> All bronze seals in the Nguyễn dynasty were cast by the [[Vũ Khố]] (arsenal).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Strict regulations existed for bronze government office seals that forbade their usage outside of official documents, unlike corporate and private seals which could be used without limitation.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> If someone used a government seal in a private setting it was considered to be a criminal offense.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> An exception was made for the day of the traditional opening ceremony after new year (Tết Nguyên Đán) where seals were stamped on an empty peace of paper, however, it was stipulated that after stamping these papers with a seal that they had to be burned.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Another regulation stipulated that if the court would confiscate a seal or if a lost seal was found that it was to immediately be destroyed. When signing documents the head of the department had to personally impress the office seal on the document and no subordinate was allowed to use the seal. === ''Quan phòng'' === The ''Quan phòng'' (關防) type seal appeared from the Gia Long period until the Minh Mạng period.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> The ''Quan phòng'' was usually stamped on the name of the signing party or at times at the "month" (月, ''nguyệt'') part of the date present on a document.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> This type was primarily used for the internal affairs of various government offices, for example for use by the the Court of Justice exclusively for internal affairs.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> ''Quan phòng''-type seals typically had the two Chinese characters ''Quan phòng'' inscribed into the end of their inscriptions.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Gia Long awarded ''Quan phòng'' seals with to a number of a high rank officials during his reign.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> It was not until the year of Minh Mạng 13 (1832) with the change of the bureaucracy structure, the establishment of the province and the appointment of new officials such as the ''Tổng đốc'', ''Tuần phủ'', ''Lãnh binh'', Etc. that the ''Chương''-style seals completely replaced the ''Quan phòng'' for many levels of the Nguyễn bureaucracy.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> It was stipulated in the year Minh Mạng 13 (1832) that ''Quan phòng''-style bronze seals would be created for the government offices of Imperial Arsenal (Nhà kho Vũ khố), [[Imperial Household Department]] (phủ Nội Vụ), Merchant ship management department (quản lý tàu buôn), tào chính, đê chính, Capital City Department (đề đốc kinh thành), Provincial military leaders (lãnh binh các tỉnh), kinh tượng, Palaca Guards (xứ thị vệ), the Imperial Academy (Quốc tử giám), học chính, the Principality of [[Muang Phuan]] (Bang biện phủ Trấn Ninh), Thái y viện, the Cabinet of the Nguyễn dynasty (sung biện nội các sự vụ), Water Affairs Office Management (thủy sư thống chế), phòng văn thư, tả hữu tham tri, the 6 Ministries, phó thần sách, 5 Armies, quản lý thương quyền, the main representative offices of the Six Ministries in Saigon and Hanoi (tào chính các tào của 6 bộ ở Gia Định và Bắc thành), học chính các dinh trấn, chánh quản cơ tứ dực thủy quân, [[Thuận Thành District]] Management (quản lý Thuận Thành), hùng cự ngũ kích, thị tượng các vệ, dũng thịnh hùng tượng, tri tâm tượng cơ, Regular Army Guards (an định kiện binh trung tượng), the Provincial Military Commander of Huế (đề đốc kinh thành), các nơi quan tân (bến sông, bến đò được đánh thuế hàng hóa), tỉnh hạt, the imperial warehouse (nhà kho), Provincial Military Lead (phó lãnh binh), an phủ sứ, the Provincial Military Commander (đề đốc), the [[Imperial Guard (Nguyễn dynasty)|Imperial Guard]] (thị vệ xứ), Etc.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> These ''Quan phòng''-style bronze seals were cast in different sizes and weights and were accompanied a smaller ivory or bronze seal with the same inscription.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> These seals were mainly impressed on documents using black ink.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> The government of the Nguyễn dynasty granted more ''Quan phòng''-style bronze seals to its bureaucracy on more levels than the contemporary [[Qing dynasty]].<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> === ''Đồ ký'' === According to historical records, the ''Đồ ký'' (圖記) type of seals had to be placed on filings, private papers, books, salary, and reports.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> During the Nguyễn dynasty period the ''Đồ ký'' type of seal was often found on documents used by [[Ethnic groups in Vietnam|ethnic minorities]], often on documents using their own scripts.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> The ''Đồ ký'' was usually stamped on the "month" (月, ''nguyệt'') part of the date present on a document.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> It was stipulated in the year Minh Mạng 13 (1832) that the ''Đồ ký''-type seal was granted to mandarins in charge of a Phủ-level division, District-level mandarins, teachers, instructors, guard chiefs, heads of a Ty, and naval commanders.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Only the ''Đồ ký''-type seals of guards and army units were allowed to be stamped using red ink, while the rest used black ink.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> === ''Kiềm ký'' === The ''Kiềm ký'' (鈐記) seal type was used by low-level mandarins and military commanders in charge of of estuaries, border gates, small boat fleets, passes, Etc.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> It was usually stamped on the "month" (月, ''nguyệt'') part of the date present on a document.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Another feature of some ''Kiềm ký'' type of seals is that many of these seals had inscriptions written in [[Traditional Chinese characters]] as opposed to seal script.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> It was stipulated in the year Minh Mạng 13 (1832) that the ''Kiềm ký''-type seal was granted to the government offices of các tấn, thủ, vịnh, sở, the guards of the [[Meridian Gate (Huế)|Meridian Gate]] (thủ hộ Ngọ Môn), the guards of the Great Palace (thủ hộ cửa Đại cung), the departments of the [[Six Provinces of Southern Vietnam]] (sở Tuần ty 6 (lục) tỉnh Nam Kỳ), and [[Trấn Tây Thành]] (thành Trấn Tây, [[Cambodia]] under Nguyễn dynasty rule).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Only the ''Kiềm ký''-type seals of guards and army units were allowed to be stamped using red ink, while the rest used black ink.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> === ''Trưởng ký'' === The ''Trưởng ký'' (長記) type of seals was commonly used by the chiefs of cantons and communes. This is considered to be the mark of lowest-level of local mandarins.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> The ''Trưởng ký'' was usually placed next to or below the section with the mandarin's full name at the end of the text to confirm the authenticity and responsibility of the participating mandarin.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> By the end of the Nguyễn dynasty period ''Trưởng ký'' were typically rectangular with Traditional Chinese characters in the middle and [[Vietnamese alphabet|Latin script]] (romanisations) on the outer area.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> === ''Tín ký'' === The ''Tín ký'' (信記) refers to general seals that were created by or for mandarins of any rank.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> From the Gia Long period all mandarins were allowed to make their own seals as they wished.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> The ''Tín ký'' were free to be used as individual seals in the fields of religion, personal beliefs and convictions, culture, and commerce in the Nguyễn dynasty.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> It was used to the stamp the position of the name of the signing party akin to how a [[signature]] works.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> By the year of Minh Mạng 7 (1826), there began to be specific rules made for the usage and creation of ''Tín ký'' seals.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> According to the ''Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ'' a mandarin was allowed to make a custom square seal made of [[ivory]] or [[wood]].<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> This seal was engraved with the name of the mandarin.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> New standard sizes were also introduced during this period.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> But overall these new rules weren't intended to change how the ''Tín ký'' were used, though it did specify that they had to be stamped below the date of each document using the same ink as the text on the document.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> In addition, the ''Tín ký'' was commonly affixed below or next to the text used to indicate the title of the person or their name.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Usually ''Tín ký'' were used by local officials for regional documents and served to identify the mandarin signing the document to other regional (low-level) mandarins.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> === Military seals === During the reign of Gia Long 5 bronze seals were created for the five heads of the five different [[Military of the Nguyễn dynasty|armies of the Nguyễn dynasty]] (ngũ quân), namely the ''Trung quân chi ấn'' (中軍之印), ''Tiền quân chi ấn'' (前軍之印), ''Tả quân chi ấn'' (左軍之印), ''Hữu quân chi ấn'' (右軍之印), and the ''Hậu quân chi ấn'' (后軍之印).<ref name="Kienthuc-military-seals">{{cite web|url= https://m.kienthuc.net.vn/kho-tri-thuc/soi-ti-mi-chiec-bao-an-cua-nguoi-quyen-luc-nhat-sai-gon-xua-1329299.html#p-10|title= Soi tỉ mỉ chiếc bảo ấn của người quyền lực nhất Sài Gòn xưa - 12:25 14/01/2020 - Tả Quân Chi Ấn là 1 trong 5 ấn vua Gia Long cho đúc để ban tặng 5 vị chưởng quân đứng đầu ngũ quân thời bấy giờ là Tiền quân - Tả quân - Hữu quân - Trung quân - Hậu quân. Đây là chiếc duy nhất trong số này còn được lưu giữ.|date=14 January 2020|accessdate=6 April 2021|work= Kienthuc.net.vn|language=vi}}</ref> The seal knob of these seals feature a [[Chinese guardian lion|Vietnamese guardian lion]].<ref name="Kienthuc-military-seals"/> === Seal knobs === Below are some of the seal knob shapes that are required for the following government positions or institutions of the Nguyễn dynasty:<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> {{Quote box | quote = * ''{{Purple|Purple text}}'' = Indicates that the seal is a ''Quan phòng'' (關防). * ''{{Green|Green text}}'' = Indicates that the seal is a ''Đồ ký'' (圖記). | source = | width = 50% | align = center }} {|class="wikitable" |- ! [[Seal knob]]<br>(Núm của ấn triện) !! Government offices !! Image |- | [[Qilin|Kỳ lân]]<br>(Núm có hình kỳ lân)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || Military supervision office (Thần sách giám quân), Central Army (Trung quân), Front Army (Tiền Quân), Left Army (Tả quân),{{Efn|Used by General [[Lê Văn Duyệt]].}} Right Army (Hữu quân), and Rear Army (Hậu quân). || |- | [[Tiger]]<br>(Núm có hình con hổ)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || Protectorate of Cambodia (Bảo hộ Cao Miên), Deputy-General of the 5 Armies (Phó tướng ngũ quân), Interprovincial-level [[Imperial examination|Confucian exam]] (Trường thi Hương), The Palace (Các dinh), Townships (Trấn), Circuits (Đạo), [[Fu (administrative division)#Vietnam|Prefectures]] (Phủ), District-level governments (Huyện), and [[Zhou (administrative division)|Châu]]. || |- | [[Chinese guardian lion]]<br>(Núm có hình sư tử)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || Head of the Left and Right town divisions (Tả hữu thống chế các dinh Thị Trung), Heads of Towns (Thị Nội), Thần Cơ, Tiền Phong, Long Vũ, Hổ Oai, Hùng Nhuệ, Huyền Vũ, Head of the water defense (Thống Chế Thủy Sư), Tả Hữu Dực Quân Vũ Lâm, Provincial entrance exam school (Trường thi tuyển sinh các tỉnh), {{Purple|Merchant ship management (Quản lý tàu buôn)}}, {{Purple|Tào Chính}}, {{Purple|Đê Chính}}, {{Purple|Các tào Binh}}, {{Purple|Các tào Hình}}, {{Purple|Các tào Công}}, {{Purple|Ministry of Revenue office in Gia Định (Hộ ở Gia Định)}}, {{Purple|Ministry of Revenue office in Bắc Thành (Hộ ở Bắc Thành)}}, and the {{Purple|Guozijian (Quốc Tử Giám)}}. || |- | Straight knob<br>(Núm thẳng)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || [[Censorate]] (Đô Sát viện), Khoa Đạo, Court of Judicial Review (Đại Lý tự), Court of Imperial Sacrifices (Thái Thường tự), Court of Imperial Entertainments (Quang Lộc tự), Court of the Imperial Stud (Thái Bộc tự), Hanlin Academy (Hàn Lâm viện), Directorate of Imperial Observatory (Khâm Thiên giám), Administration Commissioner (Bố chính), Provincial Surveillance Commissioner (Án sát các tỉnh), Prefecture-level Surveillance Commissioner (Án sát các phủ), District-level Surveillance Commissioner (Án sát các huyện), Châu-level Surveillance Commissioner (Án sát các châu), {{Purple|Storehouse of the Imperial Arsenal (Nhà kho thuộc Vũ Khố}}, {{Purple|Imperial Household Department (Phủ Nội vụ)}}, {{Purple|Provincial Military Commander of the Capital (Đề Đốc kinh thành)}}, {{Purple|Provincial Military Lead (Lãnh binh các tỉnh)}}, {{Purple|Capital Military Lead (Lãnh binh kinh tượng)}}, {{Purple|Imperial Guards (Xứ thị vệ)}}, {{Purple|Provincial Education Administration (Học chính các tỉnh)}}, {{Purple|Main administration of the Imperial Navy (Chính quản cơ tứ dực thủy quân)}}, and the {{Purple|Management of Thuận Thành (Quản lý Thuận Thành)}}. || |- | [[Vegetable]]s and [[algae]]<br>(Núm khắc rau tảo)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || {{Purple|Thái Y viện}} and the {{Purple|Documentary department (Phòng văn thư)}}. || |- | Long round-shaped knob<br>(Núm tròn dài)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || {{Purple|Protectorate of [[Muang Phuan]] (Bang biện phủ Trấn Ninh)}}. || |- | [[Hemisphere]]-shaped knob<br>(Núm vòng bán cầu)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || {{Purple|Cabinet of the Nguyễn dynasty (Sung biện Nội các sự vụ)}}, {{Green|all Guards (Các vệ)}}, {{Green|Military units consisting of 10 or 200–500 soldiers (Cơ)}}, {{Green|all District territorial units (Các thổ huyện)}}, and {{Green|all military camps and encampments (Các đồn trại)}}. || |} == After 1945 == [[File:Seal of Bảo Đại as Chief of State of Vietnam (1949–1954).svg|thumb|right|The seal of [[Bảo Đại]] as the Chief of [[State of Vietnam]]. It has the inscription "Quốc-gia Việt-Nam - Đức Bảo Đại - Quốc-trưởng" written in [[Vietnamese alphabet|Latin script]] and "保大國長" (top-to-bottom, right-to-left) in [[seal script]]. (1949–1954)]] === Transfer of the Nguyễn dynasty seals to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and its symbolism === Following the abolition of the Nguyễn dynasty in 1945 Emperor Bảo Đại handed over 800 kilograms of antiques, including seals, from the Forbidden City and other royal palaces to the revolutionary government of the [[North Vietnam|Democratic Republic of Vietnam]] following [[Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam|its declaration of independence]].<ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015">{{cite web|url= https://www.tienphong.vn/cong-nghe/co-do-hue-sach-bong-kim-ngoc-bao-ty-942970.tpo|title= Cổ vật cung đình Huế: Kho báu khổng lồ một thời vàng son-Kỳ 3: Cô đô Huế 'sạch bóng' Kim Ngọc Bảo Tỷ - Tại Huế, toàn bộ các ấn quý bằng vàng, bạc, ngọc hay còn gọi là Kim Ngọc Bảo Tỷ đến nay không còn một chiếc nào. Có lẽ thật sự đây là điều đáng tiếc nhất khi xuất xứ những chiếc ấn quý đó đều từ Huế mà ra. Có hơn 100 chiếc ấn quý báu với nhiều công năng.|date=7 December 2015|accessdate=22 March 2021|author= Dân Trí|publisher= Báo điện tử Tiền Phong|language=vi}}</ref><ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> As the capital city moved from Huế to [[Hanoi]] these antiques were stored at the [[National Museum of Vietnamese History]].<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> At the time, only light and small items were selected to move to Hanoi, as heavy items, such as the throne, the Emperor’s palanquin, stone-made screen of the Minh Mạng Emperor, etc. were left in the city of Huế.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> As a part of his official abdication, Emperor Bảo Đại personally gave his [[regalia]] to representatives of the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in ceremony.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> In this ceremony he handed over the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' (皇帝之寶) seal and the jade-encrusted silver sword (''An dân bảo kiếm'', known as the "[[Sword of the State (Nguyễn dynasty)|Sword of the State]]") to the Communist government.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/><ref name="Voice-of-America-Bảo-Đại-abdication-1">{{cite web|url= https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/ky-an-an-kiem-thoai-vi-bao-dai/5567691.html|title= Kỳ án ấn và kiếm tại lễ thoái vị của vua Bảo Đại (Kỳ 1).|date=2 September 2020|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= Tiến sĩ Luật Cù Huy Hà Vũ (Tác giả là một luật gia, học giả và nhà bất đồng chính kiến, cựu tù nhân chính trị Việt Nam).|publisher= [[Voice of America]] (VOA) Tiếng Việt|language=vi}}</ref><ref name="Voice-of-America-Bảo-Đại-abdication-2">{{cite web|url= https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/bao-dai-thoai-vi-tran-huy-lieu-cu-huy-can/5569165.html|title= Kỳ án ấn và kiếm tại lễ thoái vị của vua Bảo Đại (Kỳ 2).|date=3 September 2020|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= Tiến sĩ Luật Cù Huy Hà Vũ (Tác giả là một luật gia, học giả và nhà bất đồng chính kiến, cựu tù nhân chính trị Việt Nam).|publisher= [[Voice of America]] (VOA) Tiếng Việt|language=vi}}</ref> The passing of the ceremonial seal and sword had been seen as symbolically "passing the [[Mandate of Heaven]] over to the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam".<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven">{{cite web|url= https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/751810.pdf |title= WHY THE NORTH VIETNAMESE WILL KEEP FIGHTING.|date=March 1972|accessdate=27 March 2021|author= [[Brian Michael Jenkins]] ([[RAND Corporation]])|publisher= [[National Technical Information Service]] (NTIS), an agency of the [[Department of Commerce (United States)|United States Department of Commerce]] ([[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], [[California]])|language=en}}</ref> Following the French counteroffensive during the [[First Indochina War]] the government of Democratic Republic of Vietnam publicly buried the seal and the Sword of the State.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> Following the transfer of the treasures from the government of the Nguyễn dynasty to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, an official named [[Nguyễn Lân]] commented to Chairman [[Hồ Chí Minh]] "In the opinion of many people, it is necessary to melt all the gold and silver taken over from the Nguyễn dynasty to increase the budget to serve the resistance." (Theo ý kiến của nhiều người, cần nấu chảy toàn bộ số vàng bạc tiếp quản từ triều Nguyễn để tăng ngân lượng phục vụ kháng chiến).<ref name="Vamvo-TTXT-du-lịch-Huế">{{cite web|url= https://www.vamvo.com/Hue/tabid/1097/ArticleId/1805/currentpage/4/Default.aspx|title= Bảo tàng cổ vật cung đình Huế, ngắm Kim ấn và Kim sách - 23/04/2016 - 1306 view. Sáng 23/4, Bảo tàng Cổ vật Cung đình Huế diễn ra lễ khai mạc triển lãm “Bảo vật hoàng cung: Kim ấn và kim sách thời Nguyễn”. Đây là hoạt động khởi đầu tuần lễ kích cầu du lịch Di sản Huế và chào mừng Festival Huế 2016. Tham dự có Phó Bí thư Tỉnh ủy, Chủ tịch UBND tỉnh Nguyễn Văn Cao; Phó Chủ tịch UBND tỉnh Nguyễn Dung. Các hiện vật nói trên được Bảo tàng lịch sử Quốc gia cho Bảo tàng Cổ vật Cung đình Huế mượn trưng bày đến 23/6/2016. |date=23 April 2016|accessdate=4 April 2021|author= TTXT du lịch Huế (Huế Tourism Centre)|publisher= Vamvo.com|language=vi}}</ref> In response Hồ Chí Minh asked: "If one day we unify the entire country, what evidence will exist to confirm that we have a tradition of several thousand years of civilisation?" (Nếu một ngày nào đó thống nhất đất nước, chúng ta lấy bằng chứng gì để khẳng định chúng ta có truyền thống mấy ngàn năm văn hiến?).<ref name="Vamvo-TTXT-du-lịch-Huế"/> This decision ensured the preservation of Nguyễn dynasty treasures into the present day.<ref name="Vamvo-TTXT-du-lịch-Huế"/> According to a paper written by [[Brian Michael Jenkins]] of the [[RAND Corporation]] in March 1972 entitled "Why the North Vietnamese will keep fighting" that distributed by the [[National Technical Information Service]], an agency of the [[Department of Commerce (United States)|United States Department of Commerce]], because of the transfer of the ceremonial seal and sword in 1945 the North Vietnamese believed that they were in possession of the Mandate of Heaven while the supposedly [[South Vietnam|Republic of Vietnam]] did not it.<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven"/> So Jenkins argued that the North Vietnamese and the [[Việt Cộng]] believed that they would be victorious in the [[Vietnam War]] because it was "Heaven's will" as only the government with the Mandate of Heaven was the legitimate ruler of the [[Vietnamese people]].<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven"/> Brian Michael Jenkins wrote that he thinks that the senior leadership of North Vietnam (the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and the [[Workers' Party of Vietnam]] believes this as many were the children of Nguyễn dynasty mandarins and were raised in a [[Confucianism|Confucian]] environment, rather than from the [[Proletariat]] which is why in his opinion the [[Communism|Communists]] often acted more [[Traditionalism|Traditionalists]] than the South Vietnamese.<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven"/> {{Quote box | quote ="[[Ho Chi Minh]] himself was the son of a Confucian scholar who served Vietnam's emperor as a minor mandarin. So are [[Pham Van Dong]], North Vietnam's prime minister, General [[Vo Nguyen Giap]], its [[Minister of Defence (Vietnam)|defense minister]], and [[Xuân Thủy|Xuan Thuy]], Hanoi's chief negotiator in Paris, the sons of Confucian scholars. [[Nguyen Thi Binh]], the chief delegate of the [[Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam|Provisional Revolutionary Government]], is the granddaughter of a [[Phan Chu Trinh|famous Vietnamese poet and scholar]] who led demonstrations against the French shortly after [[World War I]]." | source = ''Why the North Vietnamese will keep fighting'' by Brian Michael Jenkins (March 1972).<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven"/> | width = 75% | align = center }} Later Brian Michael Jenkins noted that regarding the Mandate of Heaven being transferred through the passing of the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' seal and the Sword of the State presented a strong personal motivation for the Communist leadership to pursue victory over the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) during the Vietnam War.<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven"/> In a later passage regarding the psychology of the Communist Vietnamese leadership Jenkins wrote:<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven"/> {{Quote box | quote = "Possession of the "Mandate of Heaven" guarantees eventual victory, just as the Communist interpretation of history guarantees the inevitable victory of the Communists. Since Vietnamese Communists believe they have the "Mandate of Heaven," they must believe they will win. To accept defeat would be to accept that the "Mandate of Heaven" does not work; it would compromise the philosophy upon which Hanoi's leaders have based their entire lives." | source = ''Why the North Vietnamese will keep fighting'' by Brian Michael Jenkins (March 1972).<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven"/> | width = 75% | align = center }} This was cited as an important psychological reason why the Communists were so determined to keep on fighting and didn't give up during the Vietnam War when fighting the South Vietnamese and their allies (including the [[United States]]).<ref name="Brian-Micheal-Jenkins-Mandate-of-Heaven"/> === Seal of the Chief of State of Vietnam === Following the establishment of the [[State of Vietnam]], former Nguyễn dynasty Emperor Bảo Đại created a seal (Ấn triện) for his role as the new Chief of State of Vietnam.<ref name="Ahvinhnghiem-State-of-Vietnam-2">Ahvinhnghiem.org [https://www.ahvinhnghiem.org/images/trien17baodaiseal.jpg Khắc Triện cho m ình * Trước 1975, tôi đã khắc Triện để dùng, trước tiên tôi vào đường Nguyễn Trãi gần Tổng Đốc Phương, vào mấy hiệu sách Tàu, lựa một cuốn sách chữ Triện, quyển sách nhỏ chỉ lớn gắp rưỡi cuốn sổ tay dày chừng năm, sáu mươi trang, nhưng thấy khó khăn trong việc lựa chọn đúng họ tên của mình, nên tôi chọn khắc triện chữ Hán, chữ Việt mà thôi.]. - Louisville, Published: 27-9-2013. Retrieved: 21 March 2021. (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]).</ref> This seal was square in shape and had the inscription "Quốc-gia Việt-Nam - Đức Bảo Đại - Quốc-trưởng" written in [[Vietnamese alphabet|Latin script]] and "保大國長" (top-to-bottom, right-to-left) in [[seal script]].<ref name="Ahvinhnghiem-State-of-Vietnam-2"/> === Fate of the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' seal === After carefully looking for the regalia the French later dug up the sword, which had been broken into three pieces, and then handed these pieces over to the [[Hoàng Thị Cúc|Empress Dowager Từ Cung]] (the mother of Emperor Bảo Đại) who likely handed it over to the concubine [[Mộng Điệp]].<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> The ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' seal remained buried and when Hanoi was given back to the North Vietnamese they dug the seal up and gave it to the National Museum of Vietnamese History.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> Later the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' was stolen from the museum and it eventually ended up in the hands of concubine Mộng Điệp who intended to hand it, and the sword, back to Emperor Bảo Đại after he would return from France to [[Dalat]].<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> However, Bảo Đại ordered her to bring the regalia to France, where she gave it to Empress [[Nam Phương]] in 1953.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> In 1982 the Crown Prince [[Bảo Long]] handed the imperial seal back to his father, Bảo Đại.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> Since that time, there has been no word as to the whereabouts of the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' seal.<ref name="VietnamNet-2011"/> === Fate of the ''Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ'' seal === Following the end of the Nguyễn dynasty in 1945, regional director of [[Huế]], [[Phạm Khắc Hòe]], decided to move it among other treasures from city to Hanoi to present it to [[Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (Vietnam)|Ministry of Labour]] on 27 and 28 August 1945.<ref>Phạm Khắc Hòe, 1983. ''Từ triều đình Huế đến chiến khu Việt Bắc'', Nxb. [[Hà Nội]]. Page 74. (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]).</ref><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> In response to the outbreak of the [[First Indochina War]] in December 1946 the Ministry of Labour decided to transfer its Nguyễn dynasty collections to be stored at the 5th Interzone ([[Liên khu 5]]) for safekeeping.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> After [[Việt Minh]] victory at the [[Battle of Điện Biên Phủ]] in 1954, the collection (including is seal) was brought to the [[Ministry of Finance (Vietnam)|Ministry of Finance]] for management.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> On December 17, 1959, the Ministry of Finance decided to hand over its Nguyễn dynasty collections (including the seal) to the Vietnam History Museum (now the National Museum of Vietnamese History) for storage.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> In 1962 to ensure the security of the collection during the Vietnam War, the Vietnam History Museum sent this collection to the State Bank of Vietnam for safekeeping.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> It wasn't until the 1000th anniversary of Hanoi (Lễ kỷ niệm 1000 năm Thăng Long - Hà Nội) that the seal was put on public display.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> In 2017 the ''Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ'' seal was among 24 things declared a [[National Treasure (Vietnam)|National Treasure]] that year and was described by the National Museum of Vietnamese History as its most valuable possession within its Nguyễn dynasty collection.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> === Nguyễn dynasty period cultural heritage artifacts in private and foreign hands === As a result of both the French conquest of the Nguyễn dynasty in 1883 and the [[August Revolution]] overthrowing the Nguyễn dynasty in 1945 many treasures of the Nguyễn Empire have fallen in the hands of both Vietnamese museums scattered throughout the country and private collectors all over the world.<ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn"/> In recent years, Nguyễn dynasty treasures have been publicly traded at antique auctions in places like [[London]], [[Paris]], [[New York City|New York]], Etc., or sold on commercial websites such as [[eBay]] or Spin.<ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn"/> A large amount of golden treasures of both the Nguyễn dynasty and the earlier Nguyễn lords, including seals, were given by the Nguyễn to the French and [[Spain|Spanish]] governments to pay for the [[war reparations]] imposed on Vietnam following the Franco-Hispanic Cochinchina campaign, many of these treasures are now (as of 2009) kept in the ''[[Hotel de la Monnaie]]'', Paris.<ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn"/> Another example of a sacking of Huế happened on on 5 July 1885 when the rebellious Hàm Nghi Emperor fled the city and the Forbidden City was sacked by the French who stole 228 diamonds, 266 jewels encrusted with diamonds, pearls, pearls, and 271 gold items from a single palace alone, though a number of these treasures were returned during the Duy Tân period.<ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn"/><ref>J. Chesneaux, ''Contribution à l’histoire de la nation vietnamienne'', [[Paris]], Éditions Sociales, 1955, p. 134. (in [[French language|French]]).</ref> === Nguyễn dynasty seals in Vietnamese museums === In the year 1962, to ensure the safety of the antiques of the Nguyễn dynasty, the National Museum of Vietnamese History had moved them to the warehouse of the [[State Bank of Vietnam]].<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> This collection included many unique items of the Nguyễn Emperors as well as the rest of the imperial family, such as the hats of the Emperors, golden books, gold and jade seals, the Emperor’s swords, furthermore, the collection included various types of daily-use items of the Emperors, the worship items of the Nguyễn Dynasty, and many documents containing cultural value of the Nguyễn dynasty.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> The treasures were stored in corrugated iron boxes and then packed in wooden crates with a list of corresponding artifacts.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> The keys to the crates were kept by the museum.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> For nearly half a century, the collection was completely closed off to the public, and very few people knew of its existence.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> In the year 2007, the State Bank of Vietnam handed over the entire collection of precious artifacts from its warehouses back to the National Museum of Vietnamese History, this collection included 85 imperial seals.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> In the year 2010 to celebrate 1000 years of Thăng Long - Hanoi the National Museum of Vietnamese History published a book with 85 imperial seals made of gold, silver, and jade entitled ''Kim ngọc bảo tỷ của Hoàng đế và vương hậu triều Nguyễn Việt Nam'', "Seals of the emperors and empresses of the Nguyễn dynasty") and were then put on display at the museum for public viewing.<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> Many articles, books, and publications introducing the Collection have been published such as ''Cổ ngọc Việt Nam'' (Ancient Vietnamese jade) and ''Bảo vật Hoàng cung triều Nguyễn'' (Imperial treasures of the Nguyễn Dynasty).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> In 2015, a ministry-level scientific research project started entitled ''Giải mã minh văn trên các bảo vật triều Nguyễn lưu trữ tại Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quốc gia'' (Decoding the characters on the Nguyễn dynasty treasures stored at the National Museum of Vietnamese History) which also investigated and researched all the seals stored at the National Museum of Vietnamese History.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> In 2015 the ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' (Sắc mệnh chi bửu) golden seal created under Minh Mạng was designated as a [[National Treasure (Vietnam)|National Treasure]], or ''Bảo vật Quốc gia''.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> This was later followed with the ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' seal also being declared a National Treasure in 2016, which was then put on display for the public in 2017.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-Lords-seal"/> As of 2016 no imperial seals were left in the former Nguyễn dynasty capital city of Huế.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> Although at times some imperial Nguyễn dynasty seals return to Huế for exhibitions, such as the "[[Vietnamese dragon|Dragons]] and [[Fenghuang|Phượng hoàng]] on treasures of the Nguyễn Dynasty" (''Rồng - phượng trên bảo vật triều Nguyễn'') exhibition of 2018 which hosted over 80 different treasures and artifacts from the Nguyễn imperial court including the ''Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo'' (歡奉五大同堂一統紹治之寶), ''Tự Đức thần hàn'' (嗣德宸翰), and ''Chính hậu chi bảo'' seals.<ref name="Lao-Động-Online-Rồng-phượng-trên-bảo-vật-triều-Nguyễn">{{cite web|url= https://nld.com.vn/van-nghe/chiem-nguong-nhung-bao-vat-rong-phuong-trieu-nguyen-20180907131449909.htm|title= Chiêm ngưỡng những bảo vật rồng - phượng triều Nguyễn - Q.Nhật - 07/09/2018 13:28A A - (NLĐO)- Với hơn 80 hiện vật là những báu vật vô giá không chỉ chứa đựng giá trị về mặt lịch sử, văn hóa nghệ thuật của một thời đại mà còn phản ánh tài nghệ khéo léo của các nghệ nhân cung đình triều Nguyễn.|date=7 September 2018|accessdate=3 April 2021|author= Q. Nhật|publisher= Lao Động Online ([[Vietnam General Confederation of Labour]]).|language=vi}}</ref> == Types of imperial seals == {{Infobox Vietnamese |title= Gold and jade seals of the Nguyễn dynasty |qn= Bảo tỷ triều Nguyễn / Bửu tỷ triều Nguyễn<br>Bảo tỷ nhà Nguyễn / Bửu tỷ nhà Nguyễn |hn= 寶璽朝阮<br>寶璽茹阮 }} While seals in the Nguyễn dynasty made from bronze, silver, [[ceramics]], ivory, Etc. were made for mandarins and other people throughout the Empire without much restrictions, the materials of jade and gold were exclusive to the Emperors and the imperial family.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> === Jade seals === Jade seals, or ''ngọc tỷ'' (玉璽), were a kind of seal made of different kinds of [[jade]] like [[emerald]], white jade, or blue jade.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> Most jade seals produced under the reign of the Nguyễn dynasty were carved under the reigns of Emperors [[Minh Mạng]] and [[Tự Đức]].<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> Due to the fact that jade at the time was considered to be a rare material, there were less jade seals produced than metal ones (like gold seals).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> The oldest jade seals during the Nguyễn dynasty were likely produced during the Nguyễn lords period and had the inscriptions ''Phong cương vạn cổ'' and ''Vạn Thọ vô cương'' (Endless life).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> Later studies on jade seals in the records of the Nguyễn dynasty period by the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Hanoi didn't find any contemporary picture of jade seals. So, the studies had to exclusively rely on the historiographical books called '' [[Cơ mật viện túc trình]]'' (Records of the King's Consultation Institute of the Nguyễn dynasty) and ''[[Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ]]'' (History of the cabinet of the Nguyễn dynasty).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> During the year ''Mậu Tý'' of the reign of Minh Mạng, the man [[Nguyễn Đăng Khoa]] from the [[Quảng Trị Province]] presented the Emperor with a gift in the form of a jade seal with the inscription "Vạn thọ vô cương" (萬壽無疆).<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> In 1835 Minh Mạng ordered the creation of a jade seal with the inscription ''Hoàng Đế chi tỷ'' (皇帝之璽).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> It has the the carved words "Minh Mạng thập lục niên Ất Mùi tuyên" (Made in Ất Mùi (year of goat), the 16th Minh Mạng year, 1835), and a seal knob featuring two dragons.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> A jade seal with the inscription ''Khâm văn chi tỷ'' was exclusively used on cultural documents.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> The ''Hoàng Đế chi tỷ'' seal was exclusively used on the occasion of a general amnesty or the change of [[Vietnamese era name|reign era (date)]].<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> === Golden seals === [[File:Con dấu.jpg|thumb|left|The golden "Hoàng Đế tôn thân chi bảo" seal created in 1885, on display at the [[Museum of Vietnamese History]], [[Hồ Chí Minh City]].]] Golden seals, known in Vietnamese as ''Kim bửu tỷ'' (金寶璽), ''Kim bảo tỷ'' (金寶璽), or ''Kim tỷ'' (金璽), are seals whose inscriptions usually end with "bảo / bửu" (寶).<ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals">{{cite web|url= https://www.chuabuuchau.com.vn/nghe-thuat-song/4-chiec-an-bau-ngoc-ty-truyen-quoc-doc-nhat-vo-nhi-cua-vua-chua-viet-nam_41891.html|title= 4 CHIẾC ẤN BÁU ‘NGỌC TỶ TRUYỀN QUỐC’ ĐỘC NHẤT VÔ NHỊ CỦA VUA CHÚA VIỆT NAM - Ngọc tỉ được làm từ "Thiên thạch". (Ảnh minh hoạ) - Xuyên suốt lịch sử các vương triều ở Việt Nam, có rất nhiều loại ấn tín khác nhau, trong đó không thể không nhắc đến những ấn tín có xuất xứ khá đặc biệt.|date=2021|accessdate=21 March 2021|author= Tỳ Kheo (Monk) Thích Bửu Thành|publisher= Bửu Châu Temple (CHÙA BỬU CHÂU)|language=vi}}</ref><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> On mồng 4 tháng 2 năm Minh Mạng thứ tư (15 February 1823) the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' (皇帝之寶) was created by order of the Minh Mạng Emperor.<ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> According to Dr. Phan Thanh Hải, Director of the Huế Monuments Conservation Centre, the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' contains a seal knob in the form of a [[Chinese dragon#Dragon claws|five-clawed dragon]] with an erect tail standing in a steady posture.<ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> The seal contains the inscriptions "Minh Mạng tứ niên nhị nguyệt sơ tứ nhật cát thời chú tạo" indicating its date of creation and "Thập thành hoàng kim, trọng nhị bách thập lạng cửu tiền nhị phân" indicating that the seal is made of gold and weighs 280 [[tael]]s (lạng) and 9 [[Mace (unit)|mace]] (tiền), and 2 [[candareen]]s (phân), or slightly less than 10.5 kilograms making it the heaviest among the seals of the Nguyễn dynasty.<ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/><ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> The ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' was considered to be the "top seal" of the Emperor and was only stamped on the most documents on home and foreign affairs.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> The ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' (敕命之寶) has the largest surface of any Nguyễn dynasty period seal at 14 cm x 14 cm, by comparison for the jade seals, the one with the largest surface is 10,5 cm x 10,5 cm.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> Despite having a larger surface, at 223 taels the ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' weighs less than the ''Hoàng Đế chi bảo''.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> This seal is made of 8.3kg pure gold.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> Both the ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' and the ''Phong Tặng chi bảo'' were used by the Nguyễn dynasty Emperors to stamp on conferment documents for mandarins in the realm.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> The ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' seal was transferred by the Nguyễn dynasty government to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and is now housed in the Vietnam National Museum of History under museum number "LSb.34447".<ref name="Baotanglichsu-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo"/> The golden ''Trị lịch minh thời chi bảo'' (治歷明時之寶) seal was used on annual calendars.<ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015"/> During the reign of the [[Thiệu Trị]] Emperor a seal with the inscription ''Thánh Tổ Nhân Hoàng Đế chi bảo'' was created in the year Thiệu Trị 1 (1841).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/3101/71447/nhung-kim-bao-djoi-vua-thieu-tri-1841-1847.html|title= Những Kim Bảo đời vua Thiệu Trị (1841 - 1847). - Vua Thiệu Trị có tên là Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông, ngoài ra còn có tên là Tuyền và Dung. Ông là con trưởng của vua Minh Mệnh và bà Hồ Thị Hoa (Tá Thiên Nhân Hoàng hậu), sinh ngày 11 tháng 5 năm Đinh Mão (16/6/1807) tại ấp Xuân Lộc, phía Đông kinh thành Huế. Năm Quý Mùi (1823) theo phép đặt tên của Đế hệ Thi, Hoàng tử Dung có tên mới là Miên Tông. Ông là con trưởng trong số 78 hoàng tử của vua Minh Mệnh nên được nối ngôi. |date=23 April 2020|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= TS. Nguyễn Đình Chiến|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref> The creation of this golden seal was ordered two months into his reign to be used in the Thế Miếu shrine to honour his late father.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> This golden seal has two inscriptions written on its top, one inscription on the left side reads ''Bát ngũ tuế hoàng kim, trọng nhất bách thập nhất lạng ngũ tiền tứ phân''. (English: Gold eight and a half years old with a weight of 111 taels, 5 mace, and 4 candareens; Modern Vietnamese: ''Vàng 8 tuổi rưỡi, nặng 111 lạng 5 tiền 4 phân'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> On the right it has the inscription ''Thiệu Trị nguyên niên tam nguyệt cát nhật phụng chú tạo''. (English: Cast on the most auspicious day of the 3rd month of the 1st year of the reign of Thiệu Trị, 1841; Modern Vietnamese: ''Phụng mệnh đúc vào ngày lành tháng 3 năm Thiệu Trị thứ 1, 1841'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> This seal features a seal knob in the form of a five-clawed dragon standing with its head upturned and its back arched, further it has a tail with 6 pointed bands.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> During the reign of the Thiệu Trị Emperor a golden seal with the inscription ''Nhân Tuyên Từ Khánh Thái Hoàng Thái hậu chi bảo'' (仁宣慈慶太皇太后之寶) was created to honour his paternal grandmother [[Thuận Thiên (Nguyễn dynasty empress)|Trần Thị Đang]] during the first year of his reign (1841).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> Its seal knob is shaped as a five-clawed dragon standing upright with its head upturned, its back arched, and its tail bent with 7 flame-shaped ends.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> On the left of the seal knob is the text ''Bát ngũ tuế hoàng kim, trọng cửu thập ngũ lượng thất tiền tứ phân'' (八五歲皇金重九十五両七錢四分; English: Eight year old gold with a weight of 95 taels, 7 mace, and 4 candareens; Modern Vietnamese: ''Vàng 8 tuổi rưỡi, nặng 95 lạng 7 tiền 4 phân'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> While on its right side is the inscription ''Thiệu Trị nguyên niên tam nguyệt cát nhật phụng chú tạo'' (紹治元年三月吉日奉鑄造; English: Created on the auspicious day of the third month of the first year of the reign of Thiệu Trị; Modern Vietnamese: ''Phụng mệnh đúc vào ngày lành tháng 3 năm Thiệu Trị 1, 1841'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> Another golden seal for an Empress Dowager was created during the reign of the Thiệu Trị Emperor with the inscription ''Nhân Hoàng hậu chi bảo'' (仁皇后之寶).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> Its seal knob features a five-clawed dragon standing up right with its head held up high and a twisted 6-pointed flame-shaped tail.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> On the left of the seal knob is the text ''Bát ngũ tuế kim, trọng bát thập nhị lượng nhị tiền tam phân'' (八五歲金重八十二両二錢三分; English: Eight year old gold with a weight of 82 taels, 2 mace, and 3 candareens; Modern Vietnamese: ''Vàng 8 tuổi rưỡi, nặng 82 lạng 2 tiền 3 phân'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> While on the right it is inscribed with the text ''Thiệu Trị nguyên niên tứ nguyệt cát nhật phụng chú tạo'' (紹治元年四月吉日奉鑄造; English: Created on a good day during the 4th month of the first year of the reign of Thiệu Trị; Modern Vietnamese: ''Đúc vào ngày lành tháng 4 năm Thiệu Trị 1, 1841'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> This seal was created to honour [[Hồ Thị Hoa]] (or the Empress Dowager Tá Thiên).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> During the reign of the Thiệu Trị Emperor a seal with the inscription ''Phúc Tuy công ấn'' seal was created, this seal featured a seal knob in the form of a four-clawed dragon.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> On the left of the seal knob is the text ''Trọng tứ thập ngũ lạng ngũ tiền'' (English: Weight of 45 taels and 5 mace; Modern Vietnamese: ''Nặng 45 lạng 5 tiền'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> While on right it featured the inscription ''Thiệu Trị tam niên tạo'' (English: Created in the 3rd year of the reign of Thiệu Trị, 1843; Modern Vietnamese: ''Đúc vào năm Thiệu Trị thứ 3, 1843'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> according to the ''Nguyễn Phúc tộc thế phả'' this seal was given to Prince [[Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm]] in the year 1843 when he was conferred as ''Phúc Tuy Công''.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> During the reign of the Thiệu Trị Emperor a golden seal with the inscription ''Đại Nam hiệp kỷ lịch chi bảo'' (大南協紀曆之寶), this seal has a five-clawed dragon-shaped seal knob that is similar in design to the ones found on the Minh Mạng period ''Khâm văn chi tỷ'', ''Duệ vũ chi tỷ'' and ''Trị lịch minh thời chi bảo'' seals.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> On its handle it features two inscriptions, one the left is written ''Thập tuế hoàng kim, trọng nhất bách nhị thập ngũ lạng ngũ tiền tứ phân'' (English: Ten year old gold with a weight of 125 taels, 5 mace, and 4 candareens; Modern Vietnamese: ''Vàng 10 tuổi, nặng 125 lạng 5 tiền 4 phân'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> While on its left it is inscribed with the text ''Thiệu Trị thất niên thập nguyệt cát nhật tạo'' (English: Cast on the auspicious day of the 10th month of 7th year of the reign of Thiệu Trị; Modern Vietnamese: ''Đúc vào ngày lành tháng 10 năm Thiệu trị thứ 7, 1847'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> This seal superseded the ''Trị lịch minh thời chi bảo'' for usage on the official calendars of the Nguyễn dynasty.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> === Ivory seals === During the years 1846–1847, The Thiệu Trị Emperor ordered the creation of an ivory seal.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> This seal has a dragon-shaped [[seal knob]], a round face (as opposed to most square seals), and a diameter of 10.8 centimeters.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> Its inscription is carved in the words meaning "As a record for the enjoyment of the Emperor and the imperial family".<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> Under Emperor [[Khải Định]] an ivory seal was created that was ellipse in shape and had the inscription ''Khải Định thần khuê'' (啟定宸奎) written in [[Traditional Chinese characters]] as opposed to seal script.<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> === Meteorite seals === During the years reign of [[Đồng Khánh]] a meteorite seal (''ấn làm từ thiên thạch'') was specifically made for him.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> In order to show friendship between [[France]] and Emperor Đồng Khánh, the French government commissioned a special gift as [[Stanislas-Étienne Meunier]], geologist, mineralogist, and scientific journalist, wrote: "For the [[Son of Heaven]] like Đồng Khánh, nothing is better than giving him a treasure from heaven.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> So, I ask our government to try to find a meteorite, then carve it and turn it into a precious seal."<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> to the [[President of France]] who accepted his proposal and Stanislas-Étienne Meunier immediately began looking for the perfect meteorite to make the treasure.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> Stanislas-Étienne Meunier had to go everywhere to find a satisfactory meteorite, in the end he found it in the city of [[Vienna]], [[Austria-Hungary]], where he bought [[Pultusk (meteorite)|a rock that fell to the earth on 30 January 1868]] near [[Pułtusk]], [[Vistula Land]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]] (present-day Pułtusk, [[Masovian Voivodeship|Mazovia]], [[Poland]]).<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> Stanislas-Étienne Meunier described the meteorite as not being cracked and having a beautiful appearance, and a suitable size.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> Meunier was happy with the specimen and brought it back to the jeweler to manufacture.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> The seal itself is made of pure gold and is engraved with words "Le gouvernement de la République Française à S. M. Dong-Khanh, roi d'Annam" (English: The government of the French Republic, his royal highness Đồng Khánh, [[List of monarchs of Vietnam|King of Annam]]; Vietnamese: Chính phủ cộng hoà Pháp tặng vua Đồng Khánh, quốc vương xứ An Nam) in [[French language|French]].<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/> According to the book ''Đồng Khánh chính yếu'' the seal was presented to Đồng Khánh in December 1887.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> Upon receiving the seal Đồng Khánh thanked the French government and issued a statement to the people that read:<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> {{Quote box | quote ="Quan Khâm sứ đại thần Hách Tô (赫托) hiện đóng ở kinh đô vâng mệnh mang tới tặng cho một chiếc ấn ngọc do các công khanh trong triều đình quý quốc chế tạo ra, trên có khắc bốn chữ Triều đình lập tín (Triều đình đặt ra để làm tín), lại bảo rằng của đại Hoàng Đế nước Đại Pháp gửi tặng, vốn là ngọc ở trong tảng đá do trời ứng điềm lành giáng xuống, nước Đại Pháp tìm thấy đem bổ ra lấy nguyên khối chế tác thành ấn. Đó thực là một báu vật hiếm thấy, từ phôi thô mài giũa thành khí quả là vô cùng khó. Nay đem sang tặng cho để từ nay nếu có việc gì cần phải thông báo với triều đình Đại Pháp thì dùng ấn ấy để làm tin." | source = ''Đồng Khánh chính yếu''<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> | width = 75% | align = center }} Which translated into [[English language|English]] means "[[List of administrators of the French protectorate of Annam|Resident-superior]] [[Séraphin Hector]], now stationed in the imperial capital city, presented a gift in the form of a jade seal made by the noble servants of the court.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> The court created, on engraved with four words "The Court of Establishment", said that it was given by the Emperor of Great(er) France.{{Efn|At this point in time France was a Republic, but Đồng Khánh refers to the president as "Hoàng Đế nước Đại Pháp" (皇帝渃大法, "[[Emperor of the French|Emperor of Great(er) France]]).}}<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> It was a rock which descended upon the earth by heavenly goodness, and Great(er) France found the rock and made a seal out of it.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> It is truly a most precious and rare treasure, most very difficult to acquire.<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> The French now brought it as a gift so that from now on, if there is something that needs to be reported to the government of Great(er) France, then I shall use this special seal to make news."<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/> === Silver seals === During its existence the Nguyễn dynasty created a number of silver seals (''Ấn đúc bằng bạc'').<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> According to the book ''Nguyễn Phúc tộc thế phả'' prince [[Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông]] was sent to study during the reign of his father in the year of the [[Tiger (zodiac)|Tiger]] (năm Canh Dần, 1830). There he was given the nickname ''Trường Khánh công''.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> In the same year Emperor Minh Mạng (Minh Mệnh) gave Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông the gift of a gold-plated silver seal, with a vertical dragon-shaped seal knob, this dragon was depicted with a raised head, a curved back, a bent tail, and four-claws.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> The back of the seal is engraved with 2 lines of Chinese characters, indicating that the seal weighs 44 ounces, 9, 4 centimeters and notes the date of its creation.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> The inscription on this silver seal is ''Trường Khánh công ấn''.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> During the reign of the Thiệu Trị Emperor a silver seal with the inscription ''Phúc Tuy quan phòng'' was created.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> Its seal knob is shaped as a [[Qilin|Kỳ lân]] with an upturned head, arched back, bent tail, and 4 loose legs.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> It was cast during the 2nd year of Thiệu Trị or the year of the [[Ox (zodiac)|Ox]] (Năm Tân Sửu, 1841).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> This seal was gifted to Prince Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm in the year 1843.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> === Bronze seals === [[File:National Museum of Vietnamese History March 2nd, 2018 16.jpg|thumb|right|Bronze and ivory seals of the Nguyễn dynasty on display at the [[National Museum of Vietnamese History]], [[Hanoi]].]] Bronze seals, known in Vietnamese as ''Ấn triện bằng đồng'' (印篆評銅), were seals generally reserved for people of a lower status than the imperial family, but due to the financial difficulties Đại Nam was in due to war reparations imposed by the French and Spanish, the Tự Đức Emperor confiscated gold seals given to the princes and princesses of the Imperial family and replaced them with identical bronze seals.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> The order the Tự Đức Emperor made read as: "All kinds of ngân sách, ấn (seals), quan, and quan phòng of princes and princesses must be returned and melted down into bars for use.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> But according to the original pattern be cast into bronze again for convenience and everlasting storage." (Các loại ngân sách, ấn, quan, quan phòng của các hoàng thân, công chúa phải nộp và nấu chảy thành thỏi để dùng. Nhưng theo mẫu đổi đúc lại bằng đồng để tiện cho đời đời lưu giữ).<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> After the year 1869 almost all seals of the imperial court (excluding the ones for the Emperor and some select princes) were primarily made of bronze.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Bronze seals were cast for many different types of government offices and functions such as mandarins, other bureaucrats, administrative divisions, medals, signatures, Etc. and the knobs of bronze seals may be decorated with a [[Qilin|Chinese "unicorn"]], a [[Chinese guardian lion]], a straight shape, or a ring shape among others.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> These seal knobs had different levels of heights and weights, but it was absolutely impossible for a bronze seal to have a dragon-shaped seal knob as these were only reserved for seals of more precious materials.<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> == List of imperial seals of the Nguyễn dynasty == {{Expand list|date=April 2021}} List of lordly and royal seals of the Nguyễn lords and imperial seals of the Nguyễn dynasty: {{Quote box | quote = * ''{{Orange|Orange text}}'' = Indicates that the inscription is written in [[Traditional Chinese characters]]. * ''{{Fuchsia|Fuchsia text}}'' = Indicates that the inscription is written in [[Latin script]]. | source = | width = 50% | align = center }} {|class="wikitable" |- ! Inscription<br>([[chữ Quốc ngữ]]) !! Inscription<br>([[Hán tự]]) !! [[English language|English]] translation !! Use !! Created under<br>(Year, if known) !! [[Seal knob]] !! Dimensions !! Composition !! Image of the seal !! Print of the seal |- | Trấn thủ tướng quân chi ấn<ref name="BBC-News-Paris-Vietnamese-artifacts-2015"/> || 鎮守將軍之印 || "Seal of the guardian general." || On diplomatic documents of the Nguyễn lords. || [[Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên]] (阮福源) || || || || Presumably no longer exists || [[File:Ấn triện "Trấn thủ tướng quân chi ấn" (鎮守將軍之印), cùng dòng chữ "An Nam quốc thiên hạ thống binh đô nguyên soái Thụy Quốc công" (安南國天下統兵都元帥瑞國公).png|75px]] |- | Thủ tín thiên hạ văn vũ quyền hành<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 取信天下文武權行 || "Win the trust of [[Tianxia|all under heaven]], seal for military texts." || The seal is used in documents of the proclamations of expeditions. || [[Nguyễn Phúc Chu]] (阮福淍)<br>'''1703''' || [[Chinese guardian lion]] || || [[Gold]] || || [[File:Kim bảo Thủ tín thiên hạ văn vũ quyền hành (取信天下文武權行) Vietnamese Archives 01.jpg|75px]] |- | Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> || 大越國阮主永鎮之寶 || "Seal of the eternal government of the [[Nguyễn Lords]] of the kingdom of [[Names of Vietnam|Great(er) Viêt]]" || Heirloom seal of the Nguyễn lords (and later the Nguyễn dynasty). || Nguyễn Phúc Chu (阮福淍)<br>'''1709''' || Chinese guardian lion || || Gold || [[File:Golden seal Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo.jpg|75px]] || [[File:Seal of Nguyễn Lords.svg|75px]] |- | Quốc Vương chi ấn<ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo"/> || 國王之印 || "Seal of the King of the nation" || Royal seal of [[Đàng Trong]]. || [[Nguyễn Phúc Khoát]] (阮福濶)<br>'''1744''' || || || || || |- | Chế cáo chi bảo<br>(Chế cáo chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 制誥之寶 || "Seal of creation." || Used for announcing deaths (moratorium) and military commands. || [[Gia Long]] (嘉隆)<br>'''1802''' || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Quốc gia tín bảo<br>(Quốc gia tín bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 國家信寶 || "Seal of the nation." || Used to close documents to summon generals or punish soldiers. || Gia Long (嘉隆)<br>'''1802''' || Dragon || || Gold || [[File:Seal of Emperor Gia Long NMVH EDAV n1.jpg|75px]] || [[File:Kim bảo Quốc gia tín bảo (國家信寶) Vietnamese Archives - Cropped.jpg|75px]] |- | Phong tặng chi bảo<br>(Phong tặng chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 封贈之寶 || "Seal of a most honourable gift." || || Gia Long (嘉隆)<br>'''1802''' || Squatting dragon || || [[Silver]] || [[File:Seal of Emperor Gia Long 1802 NMVH EDAV.jpg|75px]] || |- | Phúc Minh chi ấn || || || || || || || || || |- | Mệnh đức chi bảo<br>(Mệnh đức chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 命德之寶 || "Seal of destiny." || This treasure was used to reward those who have done a meritorious service for the country and to promote mandarin-officials to mandarin-ministers. || Gia Long (嘉隆) || Dragon || || Silver || || |- | Sắc chính vạn dân chi bảo<br>(Sắc chính vạn dân chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 敕正萬民之寶 || "Seal of the honour of ten thousand citizens." || On national decrees and proclamations to be read to the entire country. || Gia Long (嘉隆) || || || Gold || || |- | Trị lịch minh thời chi bảo<br>(Trị lịch minh thời chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 治歷明時之寶 || "Seal of history and time." || For the official calendar of the Nguyễn dynasty. || Gia Long (嘉隆) || || || Gold || || |- | Ngự tiền chi bảo<br>(Ngự tiền chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 御前之寶 || "Seal of the imperial front." || Used on proclamations following the reign era and the two Chinese characters "Khâm thử" (欽此). || Gia Long (嘉隆) || Dragon || || Gold || || [[File:Kim bảo Ngự tiến chi bảo (御前之寶) hình bầu dục được đóng trên chữ số của dòng niên hiệu - Vietnamese Archives 01.jpg|75px]] |- | Thảo tội an dân chi bảo<br>(Thảo tội an dân chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 討罪安民之寶 || "Seal of dispensing punishments." || Used when sending out orders to the military dispatching them for combat. || Gia Long (嘉隆) || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Văn lý mật sát || 文理密察 || "(Seal of) literary scrutiny and criticisms." || For documents where there are corrections, additions, and "[[punctuation marks]]" (contiguous marks), or for stamping in indexes, chapters that have been erased or added or where they are any other additions or corrections of two important documents. || [[Minh Mạng]] (明命) || Dragon || || Gold || || [[File:Kiềm bảo Văn Lý mật sát (文理密察) Vietnamese Archives 01.jpg|75px]] |- | Hoàng Đế chi bảo<br>(Hoàng Đế chi bửu)<ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/><ref name="VNBN-Seals"/> || 皇帝之寶 || "Seal of the Emperor." || || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1823''' || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Hoàng Đế tôn thân chi bảo<br>(Hoàng Đế tôn thân chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 皇帝尊親之寶 || "Seal of the Emperor's most honourable respect." || In documents to leaders of religious sects. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1827''' || Dragon || || Gold || [[File:Con dấu.jpg|75px]] || [[File:Hoàng Đế tôn thân chi bảo (皇帝尊親之寶) print.png|75px]] |- | Sắc mệnh chi bảo<br>(Sắc mệnh chi bửu)<ref name="Báo-ảnh-Việt-Nam-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo-2017">{{cite web|url= https://vietnam.vnanet.vn/english/treasures-reflect-vietnams-cultural-history/273309.html|title= Treasures Reflect Vietnam’s Cultural History. - Representing various historical periods, 18 treasures displayed at the National History Museum more or less reflect the cultural history and quintessence of the Vietnamese nation. Each treasure conveys to visitors messages from the past and interesting stories. To honour and promote the value of existing treasures, the National History Museum has organised this special event - “Vietnam National Treasures” exhibition. 18 treasures are displayed at the Museum’s most solemn place-the main building. With the modern 3D lighting technology applied for the first time, the exhibition space has given it a new look for visitors.|date=6 March 2017|accessdate=20 March 2021|author= Cong Dat & Viet Cuong|publisher= Vietnam Pictorial (Báo ảnh Việt Nam)|language=en}}</ref><ref name="VNBN-Seals"/><ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 敕命之寶 || "Seal of destiny."<br>"Treasure of destiny." || For rank promotion of civilian and military officials as well as title conferment on deities and humans. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1827''' || A rolling dragon and its face is molded with the four words "Sắc mệnh chi bảo" in relief. || 14 cm x 14 cm || Gold || [[File:Golden seal Sắc mệnh chi bảo.jpg|75px]] || |- | Khâm văn chi tỷ<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 欽文之璽 || "Seal of respecting literature."{{Efn|Or "Seal for the respect of literary works".}} || To promote culture and education. Used in contexts like inspecting exams, opening up new schools, Etc. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1827''' || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Duệ võ chi tỷ<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 叡武之璽 || "Seal of military wisdom." || For documents related to soldiers including military exams and to emphasise martial virtues and promote the military. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1827''' || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Phong tặng chi bảo<br>(Phong tặng chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 封贈之寶 || "Seal of a most honourable gift." || || Minh Mạng (明命) || || || || || |- | Sắc chính vạn dân chi bảo<br>(Sắc chính vạn dân chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 敕正萬民之寶 || "Seal of the honour of ten thousand citizens." || On national decrees and proclamations to be read to the entire country. || Minh Mạng (明命) || || || || || |- | Trị lịch minh thời chi bảo<br>(Trị lịch minh thời chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 治歷明時之寶 || "Seal of history and time." || For the official calendar of the Nguyễn dynasty. || Minh Mạng (明命) || || || || || |- | Ngự tiền chi bảo<br>(Ngự tiền chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || {{Orange|御前之寶}} || "Seal of the imperial front." || Used on proclamations following the reign era and the two Chinese characters "Khâm thử" (欽此). || Minh Mạng (明命) || Dragon || || || || [[File:Ngự tiền chi bảo (Ahvinhnghiem.org).jpg|75px]] |- | Vạn Thọ vô cương<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 萬壽無疆 || "Ten thousand longevities with no boundaries." || || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1828''' || || || || || |- | Minh Mạng thần hàn<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 明命宸翰 || "Imperial correspondence of Minh Mạng." || || Minh Mạng (明命) || || || || || |- | Hoàng Đế chi tỷ<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/><ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 皇帝之璽 || "Seal of the Emperor."{{Efn|Sometimes translated as "The jade seal of the king" as the Chinese term "Hoàng Đế" (黃帝) is popularly translated in Vietnam as "King".}} || Documents in amnesty or giving priority for the masses. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1835''' || Two dragons leaning back to each other || 8.27 cm high, 10.5 cm wide, and 4.22 cm thick. || Jade || || |- | Tuấn triết văn minh || 濬哲文明 || "Wise and civilized." || To affix to history books. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1836''' || || || White jade || || |- | Quan văn hóa thành || 觀文化成 || "Seeing all things are according to the culture that achieves." || To affix to history books. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1836''' || || || White jade || || |- | Khuê bích lưu quang || 奎璧流光 || "Emerald jade." || To affix to history books. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1836''' || || || White jade || || |- | Tân hựu nhật tân || 新又日新 || "The addition of a new day." || To affix to history books. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1836''' || || || White jade || || |- | Hành tại chi tỷ<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 行在之璽 || "Seal of a temporary residence." || || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1837''' || || 7.7 cm high, 9.8 x 9.8 cm wide, and 1.4 cm thick. || Green jade || || |- | Đại Nam Hoàng Đế chi tỷ<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/><ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 大南皇帝之璽 || "Seal of the Emperor of the Great South." || To chop on the decrees for foreign cases. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1839''' || Two dragons facing outwards || 10.5 cm high, 12.4 cm wide, and 5.3 cm thick. || Green jade || || |- | Đại Nam Thiên tử chi tỷ<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 大南天子之璽 || "Seal of the [[Son of Heaven]] of the Great South." || To chop on the decrees for the nation. || Minh Mạng (明命)<br>'''1840''' || || || Jade || || |- | Thánh Tổ Nhân Hoàng Đế chi bảo<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> || || "Seal for honouring the ancestors of the Emperor." || To be used in the Thế Miếu shrine to honour the dead Minh Mạng Emperor. || [[Thiệu Trị]] (紹治)<br>'''1841''' || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Nhân Tuyên Từ Khánh Thái Hoàng Thái hậu chi bảo<br>(Nhân Tuyên Từ Khánh Thái Hoàng Thái hậu chi bửu)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> || 仁宣慈慶太皇太后之寶 || "Seal of the Benevolent Great Empress." || To honour [[Thuận Thiên (Nguyễn dynasty empress)|Trần Thị Đang]]. || Thiệu Trị (紹治)<br>'''1841''' || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Nhân Hoàng hậu chi bảo<br>(Nhân Hoàng hậu chi bửu)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> || 仁皇后之寶 || "Seal of Empress Nhân." || To honour [[Hồ Thị Hoa]]. || Thiệu Trị (紹治)<br>'''1841''' || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Đại Nam Hoàng Đế chi tỷ<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/> || 大南皇帝之璽 || "Seal of the Emperor of the Great South." || Mainly used on diplomatic documents. || Thiệu Trị (紹治)<br>'''1845''' || [[Tiger]] || 9.1 cm high, 10.25 cm wide, and 4.21 cm thick || Jade || || [[File:Đại Nam Hoàng đế chi tỷ (大南皇帝之璽) 03.jpg|75px]] |- | Thần hàn chi tỷ<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-seal"/> || 宸翰之璽 || "Seal of palace literature." || For letters and edicts of the Emperor written in vermilion ink. || Thiệu Trị (紹治)<br>'''1845''' || || || Jade || || |- | Đại Nam hiệp kỷ lịch chi bảo<br>(Đại Nam hiệp kỷ lịch chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/><ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum"/> || 大南協紀曆之寶 || "Seal of binding the Great Southern calendar." || Used for binding on imperial calendars printed and issued each year. || Thiệu Trị (紹治)<br>'''1845''' || Dragon || || Gold || || |- | Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty"/><ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 大南受天永命傳國璽 || "The [[Names of Vietnam|Great South]] has the eternal [[Mandate of Heaven]], jade seal for the transmission of the legacy of the Empire." || It was used on diplomatic decrees.<br>Heirloom seal of the country. || Thiệu Trị (紹治)<br>'''1846''' || A rolling dragon || 14.5 cm high, 13x12.7 wide, and 4.25 cm thick || Jade || || [[File:Heirloom seal of the Nguyễn Dynasty.svg|75px]] |- | Tề gia chi bảo<br>(Tề gia chi bửu) || 齊家之寶 || "Seal of uniformity in the household." || For examples and instructions within the imperial home. || Thiệu Trị (紹治) || || || || || |- | Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo<br>(Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bửu)<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/><ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 歡奉五大同堂一統紹治之寶 || "Thiệu Trị's seal to celebrate the unification of the five great families." || || Thiệu Trị (紹治) || || Press face round in shape, diameter 10.8 cm. The outer rim is 5 cm wide. || Ivory || || |- | Tự Đức ngự lãm chi bảo<br>(Tự Đức ngự lãm chi bửu)<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 嗣德御覽之寶 || "Tự Đức's Imperial inspection seal." || || [[Tự Đức]] (嗣德) || || || || || |- | Tự Đức thần khuê<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || 嗣德宸奎 || "Imperial correspondence of Tự Đức." || || Tự Đức (嗣德) || || 4.22 cm high, oval face, 4.35 cm long, 2.3 cm wide, and 1.78 cm thick. || Jade || || |- | Tự Đức thần hàn<ref name="Lao-Động-Online-Rồng-phượng-trên-bảo-vật-triều-Nguyễn"/> || 嗣德宸翰 || "Imperial correspondence of Tự Đức." || || Tự Đức (嗣德) || || || || || |- | {{Fuchsia|Le gouvernement de la République Française à S. M. Dong-Khanh, roi d'Annam}}<br>Triều đình lập tín<ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016"/><ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals"/><ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 朝廷立信 || "The government of the Republic of France, his royal highness Đồng Khánh, King of Annam."<br>"Seal of the imperial household." || Interactions between the imperial court and the French. || Đồng Khánh (同慶) || || || [[Pultusk (meteorite)]] and [[gold]] || || [[File:Sceau de Đồng Khánh (同慶) Roi d'Annam.jpg|75px]] |- | Tải Toả Võ Công<ref name="L’Association-des-Amis-du-Vieux-Huế-Duy-Tân-sceau-secrete"/> || 載纘武功 || "Carrying out [[martial arts]]."<br>"Continue military work." || A secret seal used for resistance against the French. || [[Duy Tân]] (維新)<br>'''1916''' || || || [[Wood]] || || [[File:Tải Toả Võ Công (載纘武功) - Secret seal of the Duy Tân (1916).png|75px]] |- | Khải Định thần hàn<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 啟定宸翰 || "Imperial correspondence of Khải Định." || || Khải Định (啟定) || || || || || |- | Khải Định Hoàng Đế chi tỷ<ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals"/> || 啟定皇帝之璽 || "Seal of the Khải Định Emperor." || || Khải Định (啟定) || || || || || |- | Khải Định Đại Nam Hoàng Đế<br>{{Fuchsia|Khai-Dinh Empereur d'Annam}}<ref name="Sceau-en-or-et-pierre-dure-de-l'empereur-Khai-Dinh">{{cite web|url= http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2012/06/17/24518665.html|title= Sceau en or et pierre dure de l'empereur Khai Dinh.|date=17 June 2012|accessdate=28 March 2021|author= Alain R. Truong|publisher= Les Carnets de Philippe Truong|language=fr}}</ref> || {{Orange|啟定大南皇帝}} || "Khải Định, Emperor of the Great South."<br>"Khải Định, Emperor of Annam." || Used to stamp French language sides of bilingual documents, such as awards and decorations. || Khải Định (啟定) || || || Gold and [[Pietra dura]] || [[File:Seal of Emperor Khai Dinh NMVH EDAV n2.jpg|75px]] || [[File:Khaï-Dinh Empereur d'Annam seal on an award certificate (4 July 1922).png|75px]] |- | Khải Định thần khuê<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> || {{Orange|啟定宸奎}} || "Imperial correspondence of Khải Định." || Used to stamp Classical Chinese language sides of bilingual documents, such as awards and decorations. || Khải Định (啟定) || Chinese guardian lion || || Ivory || || [[File:Traditional Chinese characters seal of the Khải Định Emperor (Khải Định 7).png|75px]] |- | Ngự tiền chi bảo<br>(Ngự tiền chi bửu) || {{Orange|御前之寶}} || "Seal of the imperial front." || Used on proclamations following the reign era and the two Chinese characters "Khâm thử" (欽此). || Khải Định (啟定) || || || || || [[File:Kim bảo Ngự tiền chi bảo (御前之寶) hình bát giác đóng ở chữ “khâm thử” - Vietnamese Archives 01.jpg|75px]] |- | || || || || [[Bảo Đại]] (保大) || || || || || [[File:Imperial seal of Emperor Bảo Đại of the Nguyễn Dynasty on a document (保大拾肆年 - 1939).png|75px]] |} == Imperial seals on documents == <gallery> Image:Tổng trấn Tướng quân chi ấn (« Sceau du Général Gouverneur ») - Philippe Truong.jpg|The ''Tổng trấn Tướng quân chi ấn'' used on a document using the ''Vĩnh Thịnh'' (永盛, 1706-1719) [[Vietnamese era name|reign era]] of the [[Revival Lê dynasty]]. Image:Brevet datant du 28e jour du 8e mois du 62e année de l’ère Canh Hung (1801) élevant le Tham Luận Vệ Dực Vũ Doanh Hậu Quân Trần Văn Thành au titre de marquis de Thành Tín apposé 01.jpg|A document from 1801 using the ''Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo'' seal, notice the fact that Lord [[Nguyễn Phúc Ánh]] was still using the ''Cảnh Hưng'' (景興, 1740–1786) reign era of the Revival Lê Dynasty Emperor [[Lê Hiển Tông]] (黎顯宗). Image:Thieu tri imperial edict01.jpg|An imperial edict issued by the [[Thiệu Trị]] Emperor containing the ''Sắc mệnh chi bảo'' (敕命之寶) seal. Image:Empreinte du Sceau de l’empereur d’Annam offert à l’amiral Courbet par Jules Patenôtre, représentant de la France auprès de la cour d’Hué, après la signature du traité de 1883.jpg|The seal of "the Emperor of Annam" used in correspondence with France in 1885. Image:Order of Kim-Bội certificate - 2nd class (Bảo Đại 12 - 1937).jpg|A certificate awarding a [[Kim Bội]] (2nd class) to Madame Bureau who works at a [[Catholic hospital]] with an imperial seal, dated [[Bảo Đại]] 12 (保大拾貳年, 1937). Image:Léon Sogny est élevé à la dignité nobiliaire de baron d’An Binh - L’Association des Amis du Vieux Huế (保大拾肆年 - 1939) 02.jpg|A certificate awarding the title of "[[Baron]] of [[An Bình]]" to [[Léon Sogny]] with an imperial seal, dated Bảo Đại 14 (保大拾肆年, 1939). </gallery> == List of office seals of the Nguyễn dynasty government == {{Expand list|date=April 2021}} === Imperial government ministries and agencies === {|class="wikitable" |- ! Office or organisation !! Inscription<br>([[chữ Quốc ngữ]]) !! Inscription<br>([[Hán tự]]) !! Image of the seal !! Print of the seal |- | [[Cabinet of the Nguyễn dynasty]] (內閣, ''Nội các'') || Sung biện Nội các sự vụ Quan phòng || 充辨内閣事务關防 || || |- | Cabinet of the Nguyễn dynasty (內閣, ''Nội các''){{Efn|From the Khải Định period until the Cabinet was abolished in the year Bảo Đại 3 (1934) and replaced with the ''Ngự tiền văn phòng''.}}<ref name="Huế-World-Heritage">Huế World Heritage - [http://hueworldheritage.org.vn/TTBTDTCDH.aspx?TieuDeID=9&TinTucID=2060&l=vn%3E Ấn triện trong hệ thống Lục Bộ thời Nguyễn]. Published: 17/11/2014 08:39:17. (in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]).</ref> || Sung lý nội các sự vụ Quan phòng || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Ministry of Personnel]] (吏部, Lại Bộ).<ref name="Huế-World-Heritage"/> || Lại Bộ Thượng thư quan phòng || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Ministry of Revenue (Vietnam)|Ministry of Revenue]] (戶部, Hộ Bộ). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Ministry of Rites|Ministry of Rites and Labour]] (禮部, Lễ Bộ). || Lễ Bộ || 禮部 || || [[File:Seal and signature of the Minister of Rites and Labour (1939).png|75px]] |- | Office seal of the [[Ministry of War (Nguyễn dynasty)|Ministry of War]] (兵部, Binh Bộ).<ref name="Huế-World-Heritage"/> || Binh Bộ hành ấn || || || |- | Office seal of the Ministry of War (兵部, Binh Bộ).<ref name="Huế-World-Heritage"/> || Biện lý Binh Bộ quan phòng{{Efn|Used under [[Đặng Văn Hòa]].}} || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Ministry of Justice (Nguyễn dynasty)|Ministry of Justice]] (刑部, Hình Bộ).<ref name="Huế-World-Heritage"/> || Hình Bộ chi ấn || 刑部之印 || || |- | Office seal of the Ministry of Justice (刑部, Hình Bộ).<ref name="Huế-World-Heritage"/> || Hình Bộ || 刑部 || || |- | Office seal of the Ministry of Justice (刑部, Hình Bộ).<ref name="Huế-World-Heritage"/> || Biện lý Hình Bộ quan phòng{{Efn|Used under [[Nguyễn Kim Bảng]].}} || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Ministry of Public Works (Vietnam)|Ministry of Public Works]] (工部, Công Bộ). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Guozijian|Quốc tử giám]] (國子監). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Directorate of Imperial Observatory]] (欽天監, Khâm thiên giám). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Hanlin Academy|Hàn-lâm Academy]] (翰林院, Hàn lâm viện). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Thái y viện]] (太医院). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Viện cơ mật]] (機密院, Cơ mật viện). || Cơ mật viện ấn || 機密院印 || || [[File:Sceau du Conseil secret - Cơ Mật Viện (機密院) 02.jpg|75px]] |- | Office seal of the [[Court of Judicature and Revision|Court of Judicial Review]] (大理寺, Đại lý tự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Palace Library Section]] (秘書曹, Bí thư tào). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Palace Library Office]] (秘書所, Bí thư sở). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Records Section]] (表簿曹, Biểu bạ tào). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Records Office]] (板章所, ''Bản chương sở''). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Civil Affairs Ministry & Personnel Ministry Imperial Records Chapter]] (吏戶章, ''Lại Hộ Chương''). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Rites Ministry & Military Ministry Imperial Records Chapter]] (禮兵章, ''Lễ Binh Chương''). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Justice Ministry & Works Ministry Imperial Records Chapter]] (刑工章, ''Hình Công Chương''). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Diarists Section]] (承務曹, Thừa vụ tào). || || || || |- | Office seal seal of the [[Censorate]] (都察院, Đô sát viện). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Seals Section]] (尚寶曹, Thượng bảo tào). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Court of State Ceremonial]] (鴻臚寺, Hồng lô tự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Office of Receptions]] (典客署, Điển khách thự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Office of Ceremonials]] (司儀署, Ti nghi thự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Court of Imperial Entertainments]] (光祿寺, Quang lộc tự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Court of Imperial Seals]] (尚寶寺, Thượng bảo tự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Court of the Imperial Stud]] (太僕寺, Thái bộc tự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Court of Imperial Sacrifices]] (太常寺, Thái thường tự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Office of the National Altars]] (郊社署, Giao xã thự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Music Office]] (太樂署, Thái nhạc thự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Office of Drums and Fifes]] (鼓吹署, Cổ súy thự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Divination Office]] (太卜署, Cổ súy thự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Office of Sacrificial Grains and Animals]] (廩犧署, Thái bốc thự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Ancestral Temple Office]] (太廟署, Thái miếu tự). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Clan Court|Court of the Imperial Clan]] (宗人府, Tông Nhân phủ). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Quốc sử quán]] (國史館). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Academy of Scholarly Worthies]] (集賢院, Tập hiền viện). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Office of Transmission]] (通政使司, Thông chính sứ ty). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Imperial Household Department]] (內務府, Nội vụ phủ). || || || || |- | Office seal of the Imperial [[Arsenal]] (武庫, Vũ khố). || || || || |} === Provincial administration === {|class="wikitable" |- ! Office or organisation !! Inscription<br>([[chữ Quốc ngữ]]) !! Inscription<br>([[Hán tự]]) !! Image of the seal !! Print of the seal |- | Office seal of the [[Viceroy of Tonkin]] (经略使北圻, Kinh lược sứ Bắc Kỳ). || || || || |- | Office seal of the [[Phủ doãn]] (府尹), the equivalent [[Tổng đốc]] for [[Thừa Thiên Huế Province|Thừa Thiên]]. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Sơn Hưng Tuyên ([[Sơn Tây]], [[Hưng Hóa]], [[Tuyên Quang Province|Tuyên Quang]]), in [[Bắc Kỳ]]. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Hà Ninh ([[Hanoi]] and [[Ninh Bình]]), in Bắc Kỳ. || Hà Ninh Tổng đốc || 河寧總督 || || [[File:Hà Ninh Tổng đốc (河寧總督) seal.png|75px]] |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Ninh Thái ([[Bắc Ninh]], [[Thái Nguyên]]), in Bắc Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Hải An / Hải Yên ([[Hải Dương]] and [[Quảng Yên]]), in Bắc Kỳ. || Hải Yên Tổng đốc || 海安總督 || || [[File:Hải Yên Tổng đốc (海安總督) seal.png|75px]] |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Định An / Định Yên ([[Nam Định]] and [[Hưng Yên]]), in Bắc Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Lạng Bình ([[Lạng Sơn]] and [[Cao Bằng]]), in Bắc Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of [[Thanh Hóa]], in [[Trung Kỳ]].{{Efn|Thanh Hóa was such a large and populous province that it had its own ''[[Tổng đốc]]'' (總督).}} || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of An Tĩnh ([[Nghệ An]] and [[Hà Tĩnh]]), in Trung Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Bình Trị ([[Quảng Bình]] and [[Quảng Trị]]), in Trung Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Nam Nghĩa ([[Quảng Nam]] and [[Quảng Ngãi]]), in Trung Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Bình Phú ([[Phú Yên]] and [[Bình Định]]), in Trung Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Thuận Khánh ([[Bình Thuận]] and [[Khánh Hòa]]), in Trung Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of An Hà ([[An Giang]] and [[Hà Tiên]]), in [[Nam Kỳ]]. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Long Tường ([[Vĩnh Long]] and [[Định Tường]]), in Nam Kỳ. || || || || |- | Office seal of the Tổng đốc of Định Biên ([[Gia Định]] and [[Biên Hòa]]), in Nam Kỳ. || || || || |- | Seal of the Protector-General of [[Trấn Tây Thành]] ([[Cambodia]] under Nguyễn dynasty domination). || Trấn Tây tướng quân chi ấn || 鎭西將軍之印 || || [[File:Seal of Protector General of Trấn Tây Thành.svg|75px]] |- | Office seal of the Grand Chancellor of the [[Sip Song Chau Tai#French Indochina|Taï Principality]] (a special administrative region). || || || || [[File:Sceau Du Grand Chancelier du Mérite Taï.jpg|75px]] |} === Military seals === {|class="wikitable" |- ! Rank or division !! Inscription<br>([[chữ Quốc ngữ]]) !! Inscription<br>([[Hán tự]]) !! Image of the seal !! Print of the seal |- | [[Imperial Guards (Nguyễn dynasty)|Imperial Guards]] (處侍衛, ''Xứ Thị vệ'') || Thị vệ xứ chi quan phòng || 侍衛處之關防 || || |- | Commander-General of the Five Armies (五軍都統, ''Ngũ quân Đô thống'') || || || || |- | Central Army (中軍)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/><ref name="Kienthuc-military-seals"/> || Trung quân chi ấn || 中軍之印 || || |- | Front Army (前軍){{Efn|Used by General [[Nguyễn Văn Thành]].}}<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/><ref name="Kienthuc-military-seals"/> || Tiền Quân Chi Ấn || 前軍之印 || ||[[File:Tiền Quân Chi Ấn (Nguyễn Văn Thành).jpg|75px]] |- | Left Army (左軍)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/><ref name="Kienthuc-military-seals"/> || Tả quân chi ấn || 左軍之印 || || |- | Right Army (右軍)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/><ref name="Kienthuc-military-seals"/> || Hữu quân chi ấn || 右軍之印 || || |- | Rear Army (后軍)<ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/><ref name="Kienthuc-military-seals"/> || Hậu quân chi ấn || 后軍之印 || || |} === Other government seals === {|class="wikitable" |- ! Use !! Inscription<br>([[chữ Quốc ngữ]]) !! Inscription<br>([[Hán tự]]) !! Image of the seal !! Print of the seal |- | Seal for correspondence between Huế and Hanoi.<ref name="Huế-World-Heritage"/> || Thừa Thiên phủ dĩ bắc chí Hà Nội chư địa phương quan || || || |} == Government office seals on documents == <gallery> Image:Brevet de Nguyễn Hữu Độ - Legion d'Honneur (1884) 02.jpg|A [[Legion of Honour]] certificate issued in 1884 for [[Nguyễn Hữu Độ]] with the seal of the [[Tổng đốc]] of Hà Ninh ([[Hanoi]] and [[Ninh Bình]]). Image:Léon Sogny est élevé à la dignité nobiliaire de baron d’An-Bình - Ministre des Rites et des Travaux (1939).jpg|A 1939 letter from the [[Ministry of Rites|Ministry of Rites and Labour]] to the [[List of administrators of the French protectorate of Annam|Resident-Superior of Annam]] informing him that [[Léon Sogny]] will be given the noble title "[[Baron]] of An Bình". </gallery> == Shapes of seals == <gallery> Image:Dong Kinh An Quan Seal 2.jpg|Square seal. Image:Hình dấu An Cựu Tây lý trưởng ký - Vietnamese Archives 02.jpg|Rectangular seal. Image:Nam Ky Seal.jpg|Ellipse seal. Image:|Circular seal. Image:Kim bảo Ngự tiền chi bảo (御前之寶) hình bát giác đóng ở chữ “khâm thử” - Vietnamese Archives 01.jpg|Octagonal seal. </gallery> == Seals in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam == [[File:Corporate seal type of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (2010's) 04.jpg|thumb|right|Examples of typical modern Vietnamese seals used in the [[Socialist Republic of Vietnam]] by both corporations and governments, each of any size.]] In modern Vietnam square seals with seal script characters no longer enjoy official use, instead, according to state regulations, each company or enterprise should have its own round seal.<ref name="Accgroup-Socialist-Republic-of-Vietnam-Seals">{{cite web|url= https://accgroup.vn/dang-ky-mau-dau-cong-ty/ |title= DỊCH VỤ KHẮC CON DẤU CÔNG TY - CÁC THỦ TỤC ĐĂNG KÝ MẪU DẤU CÔNG TY.|date=2014|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= Uncredited|publisher= ACC|language=vi}}</ref> These seals are round in shape and must contain both the name and registration number of the organisation.<ref name="Accgroup-Socialist-Republic-of-Vietnam-Seals"/> According to the Enterprise Law 2014 (''Luật doanh nghiệp năm 2014'') in order to create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses, when registering the seal sample, businesses are no longer required to register with the police.<ref name="Accgroup-Socialist-Republic-of-Vietnam-Seals"/> Instead, the company can engrave the seal sample by itself and send the seal sample to the business registration office.<ref name="Accgroup-Socialist-Republic-of-Vietnam-Seals"/> When the enterprise uses a new seal or changes the company's seal information, the company is required to register the new company seal sample with the government.<ref name="Accgroup-Socialist-Republic-of-Vietnam-Seals"/> In 2021 an official seal typically costs [[Vietnamese đồng|đ]]350.000 a piece.<ref name="Accgroup-Socialist-Republic-of-Vietnam-Seals"/> The ''Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo'' (歡奉五大同堂一統紹治之寶) seal created during the reign of the Tự Đức Emperor has been described as "one of the earliest Vietnamese round seals".<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Later, a number of other round and ellipse-shaped imperial seals were created by the Nguyễn Empire.<ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty"/> Government seals in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam today are usually circular in shape, and have the [[emblem of Vietnam]] in the centre of the circle. The name of the governmental institution is arranged around the national emblem in a semicircle. == The study of historical seals in modern Vietnam == There is a scholarly discipline which specialises in the study of seals printed on various types of documents produced by the [[List of Vietnamese dynasties|various dynasties in Vietnamese history]].<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> According to Professor [[Hà Văn Tấn]], a scholar specialised in this field, the seals on ancient documents usually had 3 specific functions:<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> ensuring the authenticity of the document, asserting the ownership of the text, and determining the document's date of signing.<ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn"/> Studies on the Nguyễn dynasty's imperial archives have progressed the works of different areas of scholarship including administration studies, document studies, family annals studies, and seal studies.<ref name="Vivu-Travel-Imperial-Archives">{{cite web|url=https://www.vivutravel.com/vietnam-travel-destinations/world-heritages-in-vietnam/documentary-heritage/imperial-records-of-nguyen-dynasty|title= IMPERIAL RECORDS OF NGUYEN DYNASTY. - Imperial records are documents approved in red ink by kings. Nguyen Dynasty’s Imperial records are administrative records created during the transaction of state management activities of Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945), the last feudal dynasty in Viet Nam, including records of grass-root and central administrative organizations submitted to the kings for approval, records created by the kings, diplomatic notes and literature works composed by royal family.|date=2021|accessdate=3 April 2021|work= Vivutravel|language=en}}</ref> As the imperial archives show a deep insight into the evolution of the documents (including the seals and how they were used) over the course of the Nguyễn dynasty period.<ref name="Vivu-Travel-Imperial-Archives"/> == See also == * [[Heirloom Seal of the Realm]] * [[Banknote seal (China)]] * [[Emblem of Vietnam]] * [[National Seals of the Republic of China]] * [[Seal of South Korea]] * [[Privy Seal of Japan]] * [[State Seal of Japan]] * [[Seal cutting (art)]] * [[Seal engraving (art)]] * [[Seal knob]] == Notes == {{Notelist}} == References == {{Reflist}} {{Commonscat|Seals of the Nguyễn dynasty}} {{Nguyễn dynasty topics}} {{Seal (East Asia)}} [[:Category:Symbols of Nguyen dynasty]] [[:Category:National seals|Nguyễn dynasty]] [[:Category:Regalia]] == Cats to consider for creation == [[:Category:Imperial Vietnam]] [[:Category:Vietnamese heraldry]] .

Standard reference templates

August 2021.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= August 2021|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= August 2021|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= August 2021|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= August 2021|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

July 2021.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= July 2021|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= July 2021|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= July 2021|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= July 2021|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

June 2021.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= June 2021|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= June 2021|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= June 2021|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= June 2021|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

May 2021.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= May 2021|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= May 2021|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= May 2021|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= May 2021|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

April 2021.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= April 2021|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= April 2021|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= April 2021|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= April 2021|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

February 2021.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= March 2021|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= March 2021|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= March 2021|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= March 2021|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

February 2021.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= February 2021|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= February 2021|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= February 2021|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= February 2021|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

January 2021.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= January 2021|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= January 2021|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= January 2021|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= January 2021|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

December 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= December 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= December 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= December 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= December 2020|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

October 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= October 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= October 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= October 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= October 2020|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

November 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= November 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= November 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= November 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= November 2020|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

September 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= September 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= September 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= September 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= September 2020|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

August 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= August 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= August 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= August 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

• <ref name="Chinese-Coinage-Web-Site">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= August 2020|author= Vladimir Belyaev (Владимир Беляев)|publisher= Chinese Coinage Web Site (Charm.ru)|language=en}}</ref>

July 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= July 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= July 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= July 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

June 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= June 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= June 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= June 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

May 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= May 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= May 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> No longer needed as I've imported THE ENTIRE WEBSITE, except for ancient Chinese piggy banks.

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate=May 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= May 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

April 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= April 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Kaogu">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate=April 2020|author= Credited as "NetWriter".|publisher= [[Kaogu]] (考古) - [[Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences|Institute of Archaeology]], [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]] (中国社会科学院考古研究所)|language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="TransAsiart">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=14 September 2015|accessdate= April 2020|author= [[François Thierry (numismatist)|François Thierry de Crussol]] (蒂埃里)|publisher= TransAsiart|language=fr}}</ref>

March 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= March 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= March 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>

February 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= February 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= February 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>

January 2020.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= January 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= January 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>

December 2019.

• <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= December 2019|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>

• <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= December 2019|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>

To use

• <ref name="HoreshQing">{{cite web|url= https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-981-10-0622-7_54-1|title= The Monetary System of China under the Qing Dynasty.|date=28 September 2018|accessdate=29 July 2019|author= [[Niv Horesh]]|publisher= [[Springer Nature|Springer Link]]|language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="HoreshQing"/>

• <ref name="PrimalQing">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/chinesecoins.html#qing_dynasty_coins|title= Chinese coins – 中國錢幣 - Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644-1911)|date=16 November 2016|accessdate=30 June 2017|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="PrimalQing"/>

• <ref name="PrimaltrekKingOfQingDynastyCoins">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2013/01/08/the-king-of-qing-dynasty-coins/|title=The King of Qing Dynasty Coins.|date=8 January 2013|accessdate=8 January 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="PrimaltrekKingOfQingDynastyCoins"/>

• <ref name="CambridgeInflation">{{cite web|url= https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-the-school-of-oriental-and-african-studies/article/hsienfeng-inflation/54A8F1ADDC871CC18F4DCFA828730DEB|title= The Hsien-Fêng Inflation (Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 December 2009).|date=October 1958|accessdate=28 July 2019|author= Jerome Ch'ên|publisher= [[SOAS University of London]]|language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="CambridgeInflation"/>

• <ref name="Brill2015">[https://www.academia.edu/28400259/_Silver_Copper_Rice_and_Debt_Monetary_Policy_and_Office_Selling_in_China_during_the_Taiping_Rebellion_in_Money_in_Asia_1200_1900_Small_Currencies_in_Social_and_Political_Contexts_ed._by_Jane_Kate_Leonard_and_Ulrich_Theobald_Leiden_Brill_2015_343-395 “Silver, Copper, Rice, and Debt: Monetary Policy and Office Selling in China during the Taiping Rebellion,” in Money in Asia (1200–1900): Small Currencies in Social and Political Contexts, ed.] by Jane Kate Leonard and Ulrich Theobald, [[Leiden]]: Brill, 2015, 343-395.</ref>
  • <ref name="Brill2015"/>

• <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsDebinMa">{{cite web|url= http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/41940/1/WP159.pdf|title= Money and Monetary System in China in the 19th-20th Century: An Overview. (Working Papers No. 159/12)|date=January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2020|author= Debin Ma|publisher= Department of Economic History, [[London School of Economics]]|language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsDebinMa"/>

• <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsXunYan">{{cite web|url= http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3307/1/Yan_In_Search_of_Power.pdf|title= In Search of Power and Credibility - Essays on Chinese Monetary History (1851-1845).|date=March 2015|accessdate=8 February 2020|author= Xun Yan|publisher= Department of Economic History, [[London School of Economics|London School of Economics and Political Science]]||language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsXunYan"/>

Links for the Nguyễn Dynasty seals article

• http://carnetdephilippe.canalblog.com/archives/2010/06/03/18111800.html
  • <ref name="Philippe-Truong-Đại-Việt-quốc-Nguyễn-Chúa-vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo">{{cite web|url= http://carnetdephilippe.canalblog.com/archives/2010/06/03/18111800.html|title= LE SCEAU DE TRANSMISSION DE L’EMPIRE : ĐẠI VIỆT QUỐC NGUYỄN CHÚA VĨNH TRẤN CHI BẢO, DATANT DU SEIGNEUR NGUYỄN PHÚC CHU (1709). - Nguyễn Phúc Chu (10.07.1675 - 01.06.1725) succéda à son père, Nguyễn Phúc Trăn (1687-1691), comme seigneur du royaume du Sud en 1693 sous le titre de Quốc Chúa.|date=3 June 2010|accessdate=18 March 2021|author= Philippe Truong|publisher= Les Carnets de Philippe Truong|language=fr}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 21:54, 18 March 2021 (UTC) .

• http://thegioidisan.vn/vi/an-vang-dai-viet-quoc-nguyen-chua-vinh-tran-chi-bao.html
  • <ref name="BTLSQGVN-Nguyễn-Lords-seal">{{cite web|url= http://thegioidisan.vn/vi/an-vang-dai-viet-quoc-nguyen-chua-vinh-tran-chi-bao.html|title= Ấn vàng "Đại Việt Quốc Nguyễn chúa Vĩnh Trần Chi Bảo" - 12/07/2017 18:07 - Quả ấn này đã được Chính phủ công nhận là Bảo vật Quốc gia năm 2016 và hiện nay đang được trưng bày tại Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quốc gia, cùng với những bảo vật khác đang được lưu giữ tại đây, với sự đón nhận hào hứng của công chúng, kể từ khi Phòng Trưng bày này được khai trương vào xuân Đinh Dậu 2017. Như vậy, giá trị của chiếc ấn này đã được khẳng định, theo đó, bài viết của tôi chỉ giới thiệu đôi nét về một hiện tượng khác lạ trong hai triều đại kế tiếp nhau của lịch sử cổ trung đại nước nhà, thông qua chiếc ấn đặc biệt ấy.|date=12 July 2017|accessdate=19 March 2021|author= TS. Phạm Quốc Quân |publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 23:12, 18 March 2021 (UTC) .

• http://baotanglichsu.vn/en/Articles/3188/18692/jade-royal-seals-of-the-nguyen-dynasty.html
  • <ref name="BTLSQGVN-Jade-royal-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-dynasty">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/en/Articles/3188/18692/jade-royal-seals-of-the-nguyen-dynasty.html|title= Jade royal seals of the Nguyen dynasty. The collection of the royal seals of the Nguyen dynasty belonged to the royal wares includes many types of materials such as gold, silver and jade... Those objects implicate important landmarks of the history of the Nguyen dynasty in particular and Vietnam in general.|date=16 October 2015|accessdate=20 March 2021|author= Ph.D Nguyen Dinh Chien (Former Deputy Director of the VNMH). EN: Tran Trang|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=en}}</ref>
    • Too bad that I can't find the original Vietnamese article, the English-language translation leaves much to be desired.  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 10:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC) .

• https://vietnam.vnanet.vn/english/treasures-reflect-vietnams-cultural-history/273309.html
  • <ref name="Báo-ảnh-Việt-Nam-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo-2017">{{cite web|url= https://vietnam.vnanet.vn/english/treasures-reflect-vietnams-cultural-history/273309.html|title= Treasures Reflect Vietnam’s Cultural History. - Representing various historical periods, 18 treasures displayed at the National History Museum more or less reflect the cultural history and quintessence of the Vietnamese nation. Each treasure conveys to visitors messages from the past and interesting stories. To honour and promote the value of existing treasures, the National History Museum has organised this special event - “Vietnam National Treasures” exhibition. 18 treasures are displayed at the Museum’s most solemn place-the main building. With the modern 3D lighting technology applied for the first time, the exhibition space has given it a new look for visitors.|date=6 March 2017|accessdate=20 March 2021|author= Cong Dat & Viet Cuong|publisher= Vietnam Pictorial (Báo ảnh Việt Nam)|language=en}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 10:55, 20 March 2021 (UTC) .

• https://m.kienthuc.net.vn/tham-cung/he-lo-nhung-chiec-an-dac-biet-cua-vua-chua-viet-639579.html
  • <ref name="Kienthuc-net-Lê-Thái-Dũng-2016">{{cite web|url= https://m.kienthuc.net.vn/tham-cung/he-lo-nhung-chiec-an-dac-biet-cua-vua-chua-viet-639579.html|title= Hé lộ những chiếc ấn đặc biệt của vua chúa Việt. - 07:00 23/02/2016 - Trong các triều đại phong kiến Việt Nam, có rất nhiều loại ấn tín khác nhau, trong đó không thể không nhắc đến những ấn tín có xuất xứ khá đặc biệt.|date=23 February 2016|accessdate=21 March 2021|author= Lê Thái Dũng|publisher= Kiến Thức|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 18:48, 21 March 2021 (UTC) .

• https://www.tienphong.vn/cong-nghe/co-do-hue-sach-bong-kim-ngoc-bao-ty-942970.tpo
  • <ref name="Báo-điện-tử-Tiền-Phong-December-2015">{{cite web|url= https://www.tienphong.vn/cong-nghe/co-do-hue-sach-bong-kim-ngoc-bao-ty-942970.tpo|title= Cổ vật cung đình Huế: Kho báu khổng lồ một thời vàng son-Kỳ 3: Cô đô Huế 'sạch bóng' Kim Ngọc Bảo Tỷ - Tại Huế, toàn bộ các ấn quý bằng vàng, bạc, ngọc hay còn gọi là Kim Ngọc Bảo Tỷ đến nay không còn một chiếc nào. Có lẽ thật sự đây là điều đáng tiếc nhất khi xuất xứ những chiếc ấn quý đó đều từ Huế mà ra. Có hơn 100 chiếc ấn quý báu với nhiều công năng.|date=7 December 2015|accessdate=22 March 2021|author= Dân Trí|publisher= Báo điện tử Tiền Phong|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 08:46, 22 March 2021 (UTC) .

• https://read01.com/QN8odE.html#.YFMRBd8o80N
  • <ref name="Yi-Du-Nguyễn-Lords-and-Nguyễn-Dynasty-Seals">{{cite web|url= https://read01.com/QN8odE.html#.YFw4PN8o80P|title= 權利的象徵玉璽：細數越南阮朝皇帝寶璽 - 2016/06/27 來源：越南故事館 - 越南末代王朝皇帝寶璽制度.|date=27 June 2016|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= 文：鄧誠|publisher= 壹讀|language=zh-tw}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 11:36, 25 March 2021 (UTC) .

• https://m.vietnamnet.vn/vn/tin-nhanh/quoc-an-cua-vua-bao-dai-luu-lac-o-phap-14732.html
  • <ref name="VietnamNet-2011">{{cite web|url= https://m.vietnamnet.vn/vn/tin-nhanh/quoc-an-cua-vua-bao-dai-luu-lac-o-phap-14732.html|title= Quốc ấn của vua Bảo Đại lưu lạc ở Pháp? - 31/03/2011 - 06:25 - Sau khi Hoàng hậu Nam Phương qua đời (1963), quốc ấn Hoàng đế Chi Bửu nằm trong tay Hoàng thái tử Bảo Long. Khoảng năm 1982, sau ngày Bảo Đại làm giấy hôn thú với bà Monique Baudot (người Pháp), ông nhận lại chiếc ấn từ con trai mình. Từ đó, không còn thấy ai nhắc gì tới chiếc ấn này nữa.|date=|accessdate=24 March 2021|author= Đất Việt|publisher= VietnamNet.vn|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 11:32, 25 March 2021 (UTC) .

• http://carnetdephilippe.canalblog.com/archives/2009/09/26/15214571.html
  • <ref name="Les-Carnets-de-Philippe-Truong-Trần-Đức-Anh-Sơn">{{cite web|url= http://carnetdephilippe.canalblog.com/archives/2009/09/26/15214571.html|title= QUELQUES OBJETS EN OR DES NGUYEN (1802-1945) RETROUVES EN EUROPE (1). - Article en vietnamien « Bảo vật của triề Nguyễn ở Châu Âu » de Philippe TRUONG et Trần Đức Anh Sơn paru dans Huế Xưa Nay (n°93, mai-juin 2009) et Thông Tinh Di Sản (n°2, juillet 2009).|date=26 september 2009|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= Trần Đức Anh Sơn|publisher= Les Carnets de Philippe Truong|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 20:34, 25 March 2021 (UTC) .

• http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/2001/66160/giai-ma-rong-5-mong-cua-nha-nguyen.html
  • <ref name="Baotanglichsu-Rồng-5-móng">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/2001/66160/giai-ma-rong-5-mong-cua-nha-nguyen.html|title= Giải mã 'rồng 5 móng' của nhà Nguyễn. Để thể hiện tính độc lập giữa Hoàng đế Việt Nam và các nước láng giềng, Vua Gia Long đã có chỉ dụ về quy định các hình thêu, đúc rồng trên trang phục, đồ dùng của vua và hoàng thái tử chỉ được thêu rồng 5 móng, khác với rồng 4 móng của Trung Hoa.|date=3 June 2012|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= Bee (baodatviet.vn) |publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 14:25, 25 March 2021 (UTC) .

More sources (This is getting out of hand)

https://www.chuabuuchau.com.vn/nghe-thuat-song/4-chiec-an-bau-ngoc-ty-truyen-quoc-doc-nhat-vo-nhi-cua-vua-chua-viet-nam_41891.html

• • <ref name="Bửu-Châu-Temple-Four-Nguyễn-dynasty-seals">{{cite web|url= https://www.chuabuuchau.com.vn/nghe-thuat-song/4-chiec-an-bau-ngoc-ty-truyen-quoc-doc-nhat-vo-nhi-cua-vua-chua-viet-nam_41891.html|title= 4 CHIẾC ẤN BÁU ‘NGỌC TỶ TRUYỀN QUỐC’ ĐỘC NHẤT VÔ NHỊ CỦA VUA CHÚA VIỆT NAM - Ngọc tỉ được làm từ "Thiên thạch". (Ảnh minh hoạ) - Xuyên suốt lịch sử các vương triều ở Việt Nam, có rất nhiều loại ấn tín khác nhau, trong đó không thể không nhắc đến những ấn tín có xuất xứ khá đặc biệt.|date=2021|accessdate=21 March 2021|author= Tỳ Kheo (Monk) Thích Bửu Thành|publisher= Bửu Châu Temple (CHÙA BỬU CHÂU)|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 20:41, 21 March 2021 (UTC) .

• https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2011/10/seals-of-nguyen-dynasty-showcased/
  • <ref name="Vietnam-Breaking-News-2011">{{cite web|url= https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2011/10/seals-of-nguyen-dynasty-showcased/|title= Seals of Nguyen Dynasty showcased. Around 140 seals of the Nguyen Dynasty are displayed at an exhibition which opened in Hanoi on October 12.|date=13 October 2011|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= english.cinet.vn|publisher= VietNam Breaking News (UPDATE LATEST NEWS FROM VIETNAM) |language=en}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 21:00, 25 March 2021 (UTC) .

• http://topluatsu.com/nhung-con-dau-tron-dau-tien-cua-nuoc-viet-nam.html
  • <ref name="Topluatsu-round-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty">{{cite web|url= http://topluatsu.com/nhung-con-dau-tron-dau-tien-cua-nuoc-viet-nam.html|title= Những con đấu tròn đầu tiên của nước Việt Nam. - Tháng Mười 20, 2017 - 1. Dưới đời Thiệu Trị, nhân lễ Ngũ đại đồng đường năm 1846-1847, nhà vua cho làm Bảo ấn: Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo (ảnh 4). Ấn chạm bằng ngà, quai hình rồng đứng trong mây, tiện nhiều cấp hình tròn. Mặt ấn hình tròn, đường kính 10cm8. Diềm ngoài rộng 5cm khắc hình lưỡng long chầu nguyệt. Bên trong khắc nổi 12 chữ Triện theo 4 dòng: Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo. Đây là Bảo ấn ghi lại niềm vui của nhà vua và hoàng gia, một trường hợp khá đặc biệt trong triều nhà Nguyễn.|date=20 October 2017|accessdate=25 March 2021|author= Bình Luận|publisher= Topluatsu.vn (THÀNH LẬP DOANH NGHIỆP TP VINH, NGHỆ AN, HÀ TĨNH)|language=en}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 23:02, 25 March 2021 (UTC) .

Infoboxes

Seals of the Nguyễn dynasty
Vietnamese alphabet	Bảo tỷ triều Nguyễn / Bửu tỷ triều Nguyễn Bảo tỷ nhà Nguyễn / Bửu tỷ nhà Nguyễn
Hán-Nôm	寶璽朝阮 寶璽茹阮

Seals of the Nguyễn dynasty
Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ (大南受天永命傳國璽, "The Great South has the eternal Mandate of Heaven, jade seal for the transmission of the legacy of the Empire"), the imperial seal of the Nguyễn dynasty.
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Bảo tỷ triều Nguyễn / Bửu tỷ triều Nguyễn Bảo tỷ nhà Nguyễn / Bửu tỷ nhà Nguyễn
Hán-Nôm	寶璽朝阮 寶璽茹阮

Vietnamese article for comparison

• https://vi.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%E1%BB%ADu_t%E1%BB%B7_tri%E1%BB%81u_Nguy%E1%BB%85n

Redirects

#REDIRECT [[Seals of the Nguyễn dynasty]]

1. Seal of the Nguyễn dynasty.
2. Heirloom seal of the Southern Realm.
3. Ngọc tỷ truyền quốc của nước Đại Nam.
4. Bảo tỷ triều Nguyễn.
5. Bửu tỷ triều Nguyễn.
6. Bảo tỷ nhà Nguyễn.
7. Bửu tỷ nhà Nguyễn.
8. 寶璽朝阮.
9. 寶璽茹阮.
10. Seals of the Nguyen dynasty.
11. Seals of the Nguyen Dynasty.
12. Seals of the Nguyễn Dynasty.
13. Seals of Nguyễn dynasty.
14. Seals of Nguyễn Dynasty.
15. Imperial seals of the Nguyễn dynasty.
16. Imperial seals of the Nguyễn Dynasty.
17. Heirloom seal of the Nguyễn dynasty.
18. Heirloom seal of the Nguyễn Dynasty.
19. Ấn triện triều Nguyễn.
20. Ấn triện nhà Nguyễn.
21. 印篆朝阮.
22. 印篆茹阮.

#REDIRECT [[Seals of the Nguyễn dynasty#Seals of the Nguyễn lords]]

1. Seals of the Nguyễn lords.
2. Seal of the Nguyễn lords.
3. Seals of the Nguyễn Lords.
4. Seal of the Nguyễn Lords.
5. Seals of the Nguyen lords.
6. Seal of the Nguyen lords.
7. Seals of the Nguyen Lords.
8. Seal of the Nguyen Lords.

Xã Đức Hương, huyện Vũ Quang, Hà Tĩnh coin hoard spin-off project

• User:Donald Trung/Xã Đức Hương, huyện Vũ Quang, Hà Tĩnh coin hoard.
  • http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/2001/62273/phat-hien-90kg-tien-co-djuoc-chon-thoi-ky-nha-nguyen-tay-son.html
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 07:09, 20 March 2021 (UTC) .

List of imperial seals of the Nguyễn dynasty (Concept March 20th)

List of lordly and royal seals of the Nguyễn lords and imperial seals of the Nguyễn dynasty:

• Orange text = Indicates that the inscription is written in Traditional Chinese characters.

• Fuchsia text = Indicates that the inscription is written in Latin script.

Inscription (chữ Quốc ngữ)	Inscription (Hán tự)	English translation	Use	Created under (Year, if known)	Seal knob	Dimensions	Composition	Additional information (Carved inscriptions, peculiarities, Etc.)	Image of the seal	Print of the seal
	取信天下文武權行	"Win the trust of all under heaven, seal for military texts."	The seal is used in the expedition proclamation	Nguyễn Phúc Chu (阮福淍) 1703
Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo	大越國阮主永鎮之寶	"Seal of the eternal government of the Nguyễn Lords of the kingdom of Great(er) Viêt"	Heirloom seal of the Nguyễn lords (and later the Nguyễn dynasty).	Nguyễn Phúc Chu (阮福淍) 1709	Chinese guardian lion		Gold	On the left side of the seal was the legend Kê bát thập kim, lục hốt tứ lạng tứ tiền tâm phân (80% pure gold, weighing 6 lingots, 4 and 4/10 and 3/100 tael (= 64,43 taels = 2364 g) ), while on the right side of the seal is the inscription Vĩnh Thịnh ngũ niên thập nhị nguyệt sơ lực nhật tạo (Created on the 6th day of the 12th month of the 5th year of the Vĩnh Thịnh era (or the year 1709 in the Gregorian calendar)). Nine other characters were engraved on the back edge of the base of the seal Lại bộ Đồng Tri Qua Tuệ Thư giám tạo ("Qua Tuệ Thư, dignitary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in charge of the supervision of the works").
Quốc Vương chi ấn	國王之印	"Seal of the King of the nation"	Royal seal of Đàng Trong.	Nguyễn Phúc Khoát (阮福濶) 1744
Quốc gia tín bảo		"Seal of the nation."		Gia Long (嘉隆) 1802	Dragon	Gold
Hoàng Đế chi tỷ		"Seal of the Emperor."	Documents in amnesty or giving priority for the masses.	Minh Mạng () 1835	Two dragons leaning back to each other	Jade	8.27 cm high, 10.5 cm wide, and 4.22 cm thick.	It has the the carved words "Minh Mạng thập lục niên Ất Mùi tuyên" (Made in Ất Mùi (year of goat), the 16th Minh Mạng year, 1835).
Đại Nam Hoàng đế chi tỷ	大南皇帝之璽	"Seal of the Emperor of the Great South."	Mainly used on diplomatic documents	Thiệu Trị (紹治) 1845		Jade
Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ	大南受天永命傳國璽	"The Great South has the eternal Mandate of Heaven, jade seal for the transmission of the legacy of the Empire."	Heirloom seal of the country.	Thiệu Trị (紹治) 1846	A rolling dragon	Jade

Chinese Money Matters #80, please let me rest and just finish my work for once in a WHILE Edition

• https://chinesemoneymatters.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/80-a-chinese-coin-sword-in-durham/
  • <ref name="Chinese-Money-Matters-Chinese-Coin-Sword-in-Durham">{{cite web|url= https://chinesemoneymatters.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/80-a-chinese-coin-sword-in-durham/|title= 80. A CHINESE COIN-SWORD IN DURHAM - Guest post by Anna N. Crowther.|date=1 March 2021|accessdate=21 March 2021|author= Anna N. Crowther|publisher= Chinese Money Matters ([[British Museum]]) |language=en}}</ref>
    • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/949944455...1013479295  Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 21:00, 21 March 2021 (UTC) .

2019 Quang Trung hoard

• User:Donald Trung/Phan Đình Phùng Quang Trung coins hoard of 2019
  • https://m.tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn/nong-dan-dao-duoc-ba-hu-tien-co-post227890.html
  • https://laodong.vn/xa-hoi/vu-dao-duoc-3-hu-tien-xu-co-tien-cua-nghia-quan-phan-dinh-phung-774963.ldo
    • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/1013806791&type=revision  Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 15:25, 23 March 2021 (UTC) .

Commemorative cash coins of Vietnam

• User:Donald Trung/Commemorative cash coins of Vietnam
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/1013944273&type=revision  Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 09:32, 24 March 2021 (UTC) .

Vietnamese nobility expansion from the L’Association des Amis du Vieux Huế

• User:Donald Trung/Vietnamese nobility expansion from the L’Association des Amis du Vieux Huế.
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/960239139...1014953780  Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 22:43, 29 March 2021 (UTC) .

History (Old format - March 26)

Preserving it here in case I want to "go back".

Background (Nguyễn lords period)

Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo (大越國阮主永鎮之寶, "Seal of the eternal government of the Nguyễn Lords of the kingdom of Great(er) Viêt").

In the year 1709 Nguyễn lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu ordered the creation of a golden seal, this seal was 108 by 108 by 63 millimeters in dimensions. It bears the inscription Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo (大越國阮主永鎮之寶, "Seal of the eternal government of the Nguyễn Lords of the kingdom of Great(er) Viêt"). This seal classifies Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu as a mandarin of the 2nd military rank. While the Nguyễn lords were nominally sovereign for over a century at this point, they hadn't commissioned the creation of a national seal before 1709.

On the left side of the seal was the legend Kê bát thập kim, lục hốt tứ lạng tứ tiền tâm phân (80% pure gold, weighing 6 lingots, 4 and 4/10 and 3/100 tael (= 64,43 taels = 2364 g) ), while on the right side of the seal is the inscription Vĩnh Thịnh ngũ niên thập nhị nguyệt sơ lực nhật tạo (Created on the 6th day of the 12th month of the 5th year of the Vĩnh Thịnh era (or the year 1709 in the Gregorian calendar)). The reason why Nguyễn Phúc Chu decided to use the era name of Emperor Lê Dụ Tông was because the Nguyễn lords, who ruled over Inner Vietnam, were nominally the vassals of the Revival Lê dynasty (Later Lê dynasty) in Outer Vietnam and used their reign eras and titles as a sign of submission. Nine other characters were engraved on the back edge of the base of the seal Lại bộ Đồng Tri Qua Tuệ Thư giám tạo ("Qua Tuệ Thư, dignitary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in charge of the supervision of the works").

As another sign of submission, the seal features a large golden imperial guardian lion as its seal knob, a heraldic element and common Buddhist symbol, as opposed to an imperial dragon symbolising imperial power. The guardian lion appears with a grinning head, protruding eyes, a half-open mouth revealing two sharp fangs, a curly mane, and a bushy tail. The ball on which the male lion's paw rests is believed to contain his vital essence. For some, the ball exemplifies the triumph of the spirit over brute force. For Zen Buddhists, it represents the unsurpassable or total perfection, Perfect Truth, full knowledge of Dharma. Others see in this object the "wish-granting pearl", one of the "Eight Treasures" which symbolizes purity.

While Nguyễn Phúc Chu requested the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty to recognise the independence of the Nguyễn lords country, and was rejected, he kept using a seal with the inscription Tổng trấn Tướng quân chi ấn ("Seal of the governor-general") on documents and dating them with the Lê dynasty calendar. During the reign of Nguyễn Phúc Chu the Nguyễn would continue to refer to themselves as "Lords" (主) as opposed to the Trịnh lords who already called themselves "Kings" (王) at this point in time.

While the Nguyễn lords were gifted a seal with the inscription Tổng trấn Tướng quân chi ấn by the Revival Lê dynasty before to use in communications between them and the imperial court, but in 1744 Nguyễn Phúc Khoát proclaimed himself a "King" (王, Vương) and started using a seal with the inscription Quốc Vương chi ấn (國王之印, "Seal of the King of the nation") instead.

The Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo was seen as a precious family heirloom and was kept passed down the Nguyễn family long after the Nguyễn lords were ousted by the Tây Sơn dynasty and was later the imperial seal of the Nguyễn dynasty until the 1840s.

The Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo seal was used by Gia Long on a funeral prayer document for Pigneau de Béhaine now preserved in Paris.

Seals during the Nguyễn dynasty period

The seal of the Viện cơ mật (Nguyễn dynasty, French Indochina) with transliterations on the right to both Traditional Chinese characters and Latin script. Government agencies and mandarins typically had their own seals.

After becoming Emperor in 1802 with the establishment of the Nguyễn dynasty, Emperor Gia Long decided to continue using the Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo seal. It was carefully kept in a box out of sight and, unlike the other imperial seals, kept in the Trung Hoà Palace, the sovereign's personal residence located in the Purple Forbidden City. The imperial seal was not presented to court until the enthronement of a new sovereign.

According to the historian Lê Văn Lan the Emperors of the Nguyễn Dynasty, like the earlier monarchs of Vietnam, all took their seals as the symbol of the supreme governmental power of both themselves and the monarchy as a whole. Besides the imperial seals that were used in government administration, there were also special seals carved that symbolise titles, which usually went with a golden book (or "Kim Sách"), specific seals for worship ceremonies (for dead Emperors), or special seals that were exclusively stamped on poems or paintings.

The various seals of the Nguyễn dynasty had different names based on their function, namely Bảo, Tỷ, An, Chuong, Quan Phong, Do Ky, Kiem ky, Tin Ky, and Ky.

Because the Emperors of the Nguyễn dynasty were all personally very much involved in the affairs of the state they produced a large number of seals each for very specific functions and most could be handed over to their successors. These seals sometimes only represent the emperor himself as an individual, and sometimes they also act as representatives of the imperial court. From the content of the seals used by the Emperors privately, it can be seen that the numerous different seals of the Nguyễn Empire were used on different occasions.

In the third month of the year Bính Tý, or Gia Long 15 (1816), Emperor Gia Long instructed the court to create special clothes, hats, and seals for himself and the crown prince to denote independence from China. These regalia all depicted five-clawed dragons (蠪𠄼𤔻, rồng 5 móng), in Chinese symbolism (including Vietnamese symbolism) five-clawed dragons are symbols of an Emperor, while four-clawed dragons are seen as symbols or kings. To denote the high status of Emperor all monarchial robes, hats, and seals were adorned with five-clawed dragons and ordered the creation of new seals with five-clawed dragons as their seal knobs to showcase imperial legitimacy. Meanwhile the wardrobes and other symbols of vassals and prices were adorned with four-clawed dragons symbolising their status as "kings".

During the reign of Gia Long seals were produced with the inscriptions 制誥之寶, 國家信寶, 命德之寶, 封贈之寶, 敕正萬民之寶, 討罪安民之寶, 治歷明時之寶, and 御前之寶.

Seals in the Nguyễn dynasty were overseen by a pair of agencies referred to as the Office of Ministry Seals Management - Officers on Duty (印司 - 直處, Ấn ty - Trực xứ), this is a term that refers to two agencies which were established within each of the Six Ministries, these agencies were tasked with keeping track of the seals, files, and chapters of their ministry. On duty of the Office of Ministry Seals Management were the correspondents of each individual ministry that received and distributed documents and records of a government agency. These two agencies usually had a few dozen officers who would import documents from their ministry. Usually the name of the ministry is directly attached to the seal agency's name, for example "Office of Civil Affairs Ministry Seals Management - Civil Affairs Ministry Officers on Duty" (吏印司吏直處, Lại Ấn ty Lại Trực xứ).

During the reign of the Minh Mạng Emperor many kinds of seals were made from different materials, each for specific purposes.

Emperor Thiệu Trị commissioned a new imperial seal to replace the Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo seal as the imperial seal in the year 1846, this seal had the inscription Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ (大南受天永命傳國璽, "The Great South has the eternal Mandate of Heaven, jade seal for the transmission of the legacy of the Empire"). The modern Vietnamese reading of the inscription is Ngọc Tỷ truyền quốc của nước Đại Nam, nhận mệnh lâu dài từ trời. The creation of the heirloom seal started in 1846 and was made within one year's time.

According to the historical records during the year of the Horse (năm Bính Ngọ), or the 6th year of Thiệu Trị's reign (1846), while some people were searching for gold and precious stones in Ngọc mountain, Hòa Điền District, Quảng Nam Province, they dug up a very large piece of jade that extremely brilliant and shiny. After their discovery they had offered to the Emperor. Upon receiving the large and rare jade the Thiệu Trị Emperor saw it as an auspicious omen and ordered a new seal to be carved from it. This became the Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ seal. After a year's worth of effort and talent, the engraver had finished making the seal and offered it to Thiệu Trị.

Upon receiving the heirloom seal Thiệu Trị immediately held a large Đại tự ceremony to confer that he had the Mandate of Heaven and prayed to have a long and prosperous reign. After the ceremony was completed the new heirloom seal was ordered to be stored in the Trung Hòa Palace in the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Cung Càn Thành) complex alongside the Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo heirloom seal of the Nguyễn lords.

It had a handle in shape of a rolling dragon, it is 14.5 cm high, 13x12.7 wide, and 4.25 cm thick. It has the words meaning "Day 15, month 3 year Thiệu Trị 7" (Thiệu Trị thất niên tam nguyệt thập ngũ nhật) carved into it. On the left side of the heirloom seal it is engraved with the Chinese characters "Đắc thượng cát lễ thành phụng chỉ cung tuyên". On the head of the dragon on the top of the seal, it has the words carved "To serve in Nam Giao (南郊) ceremony" (Nam Giao đại lễ để cáo). This heirloom seal is said to be the biggest and most valuable among the ones produced by the imperial family of the Nguyễn dynasty. The Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ was used for diplomatic decrees and it was protected by the dynasty as an extremely valuable treasure.

During the reign of the Tự Đức Emperor the Nguyễn dynasty lost the Cochinchina campaign against the joint Franco-Hispanic forces and were forced to pay indemnities. Because the national treasury did not have enough gold bullion to pay, Emperor Tự Đức had to recover some gold and silver treasures that were displayed in the palaces to pay the French and Spanish. In the year 1869, the Tự Đức Emperor had ordered the princes (hoàng thân and hoàng tử) princesses (công chúa) to return the seals and needles that the imperial court had previously given them. After that, the Tự Đức Emperor had "renovated" (reissued) their items in the form of bronze seals and needles.

Under the Tự Đức Emperor a round ivory seal with the 12 character inscription Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo (歡奉五大同堂一統紹治之寶) written in 4 lines was created. The seal knob of this ivory seal is shaped like a dragon holding a wish-granting pearl. This seal was used on documents that record the joys and pleasures of the Emperor and the imperial family.

A Sapèque d'Honneur ("Cash coin of Honour") certificate issued to Jules Garnoux, it displays two different seals used by the Khải Định Emperor using Traditional Chinese characters and one using Latin script rather than the traditionally used ancient seal script, also notice that different seals were used for the French and Vietnamese (Classical Chinese) texts of the document. Dated Khải Định 7 (1922).

During the reign of the Duy Tân Emperor a secret wooden seal with the inscription Tải Toả Võ Công (載纘武功, "Continue military works") was created for documents related to the Vietnamese independence movement against French occupation. Léon Sogny, director of security in Huế, wrote about it in a letter in which he claimed that the seal was discovered by the Khải Định Emperor. Furthermore Sogny noted thay some of the seal script characters characters resemble those of a seal produced under Nguyễn Ánh (the future Gia Long Emperor) when he was fighting against the Tây Sơn Rebellion in an effort "to reconquer the Kingdom".

Until the reign of the Khải Định Emperor most jade, silver, golden seals as well as the kim sách and ngân sách were kept at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, these were all strictly confidential. Without the orders of the Emperor nobody was allowed to open or even touch the seals. Every year, just before before Tết Nguyên Đán, the Emperor would order the mandarins to perform the Phất thức ceremony and open all the caskets and then inventorise the treasures inside of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. After opening the casket the Mandarins would wash each seal with fragrant water and then use a cashew cloth to dry it and return it back to their original place.

During the Khải Định period imperial seals with inscriptions written in Traditional Chinese characters instead of seal script began to be carved.

Seals were also given to people after they received a noble title. For example after Léon Louis Sogny received the title of "Baron of An Bình" (安平男) in the year Bảo Đại 14 (保大拾肆年, 1939) he was also given a golden seal and a Kim Bài (金牌) with his noble title on it. The seal had the seal script inscription An Bình Nam chi ấn (安平男之印).

After 1945

The seal of Bảo Đại as the Chief of State of Vietnam. It has the inscription "Quốc gia Việt-Nam - Đức Bảo Đại - Quốc-trưởng" written in Latin script and "保大國長" (top-to-bottom, right-to-left) in seal script. (1949–1954)

Followings the abolition of the Nguyễn dynasty in 1945 Emperor Bảo Đại handed over 800 kilograms of antiques, including seals, from the Forbidden City and other royal palaces to the revolutionary government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam following its declaration of independence. As the capital city moved from Huế to Hanoi these antiques were stored at the National Museum of Vietnamese History. At the time, only light and small items were selected to move to Hanoi, as heavy items, such as the throne, the Emperor’s palanquin, stone-made screen of the Minh Mạng Emperor, etc. were left in the city of Huế.

As a part of his official abdication, Emperor Bảo Đại personally gave his regalia to representatives of the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in ceremony. In this ceremony he handed over the Hoàng Đế chi bảo (皇帝之寶) seal and the jade-encrusted silver sword (known as the "Sword of the State") to the Communist government. Following the French counteroffensive during the First Indochina War the government of Democratic Republic of Vietnam publicly buried the seal and the Sword of the State.

Following the establishment of the State of Vietnam, former Nguyễn dynasty Emperor Bảo Đại created a seal (Ấn triện) for his role as the new Chief of State of Vietnam. This seal was square in shape and had the inscription "Quốc gia Việt-Nam - Đức Bảo Đại - Quốc-trưởng" written in Latin script and "保大國長" (top-to-bottom, right-to-left) in seal script.

After carefully looking for the regalia the French later dug up the sword, which had been broken into three pieces, and then handed these pieces over to the Empress Dowager Từ Cung (the mother of Emperor Bảo Đại) who likely handed it over to concubine Mộng Điệp. The Hoàng Đế chi bảo seal remained buried and when Hanoi was given back to the North Vietnamese they dug the seal up and gave it to the National Museum of Vietnamese History. Later the Hoàng Đế chi bảo was stolen from the museum and it eventually ended up in the hands of concubine Mộng Điệp who intended to hand it, and the sword, back to Emperor Bảo Đại after he would return from France to Dalat. However, Bảo Đại ordered her to bring the regalia to France, where she gave it to Empress Nam Phương in 1953. In 1982 the Crown Prince Bảo Long handed the imperial seal back to his father, Bảo Đại. Since that time, there has been no word as to the whereabouts of the Hoàng Đế chi bảo seal.

In the year 1962, to ensure the safety of the antiques of the Nguyễn dynasty, the National Museum of Vietnamese History moved them to the warehouse of the State Bank of Vietnam. This collection included many unique items of the Nguyễn emperors and the rest of the imperial family, such as the hats of the Emperors, golden books, gold and jade seals, the Emperor’s swords, furthermore, the collection included various types of daily-use items of the Emperors, the worship items of the Nguyễn Dynasty, and many documents containing cultural value of the Nguyễn dynasty.

In the year 2007, the State Bank of Vietnam handed over the entire collection of precious artifacts from its warehouses back to the National Museum of Vietnamese History, this collection included 85 imperial seals.

As a result of both the French conquest of the Nguyễn dynasty in 1883 and the August Revolution overthrowing the Nguyễn dynasty in 1945 many treasures of the Nguyễn Empire have fallen in the hands of both Vietnamese museums scattered throughout the country and private collectors all over the world. In recent years, Nguyễn dynasty treasures have been publicly traded at antique auctions in places like London, Paris, New York, Etc., or sold on commercial websites such as eBay or Spin. A large amount of golden treasures of both the Nguyễn dynasty and the earlier Nguyễn lords, including seals, were given by the Nguyễn to the French and Spanish governments to pay for the war reparations imposed on Vietnam following the Franco-Hispanic Cochinchina campaign, many of these treasures are now (as of 2009) kept in the Hotel de la Monnaie, Paris. Another example of a sacking of Huế happened on on 5 July 1885 when the rebellious Hàm Nghi Emperor fled the city and the Forbidden City was sacked by the French who stole 228 diamonds, 266 jewels encrusted with diamonds, pearls, pearls, and 271 gold items from a single palace alone, though a number of these treasures were returned during the Duy Tân period.

In the year 2010 to celebrate 1000 years of Thăng Long - Hanoi the National Museum of Vietnamese History published a book with 85 imperial seals made of gold, silver, and jade entitled Kim ngọc bảo tỷ của Hoàng đế và vương hậu triều Nguyễn Việt Nam, "Seals of the emperors and empresses of the Nguyễn dynasty") and were then displayed to the public.

In 2016 the Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo seal was designated as a National Treasure, or Bảo vật Quốc gia, and in 2017 it was put on display for the public.

As of 2016 no imperial seals were left in the former Nguyễn dynasty capital city of Huế.

Imperial list sources

• http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2012/06/17/24518665.html
  • <ref name="Sceau-en-or-et-pierre-dure-de-l'empereur-Khai-Dinh">{{cite web|url= http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2012/06/17/24518665.html|title= Sceau en or et pierre dure de l'empereur Khai Dinh.|date=17 June 2012|accessdate=28 March 2021|author= Alain R. Truong|publisher= Les Carnets de Philippe Truong|language=fr}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 20:35, 28 March 2021 (UTC) .

• http://baotanglichsu.vn/en/Articles/3188/19387/the-golden-royal-seal-sac-menh-chi-bao-october-8th-year-of-minh-menh-reign-1827.html
  • <ref name="Baotanglichsu-Sắc-mệnh-chi-bảo">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/en/Articles/3188/19387/the-golden-royal-seal-sac-menh-chi-bao-october-8th-year-of-minh-menh-reign-1827.html|title= The golden royal seal "Sac menh chi bao", October, 8th year of Minh Menh reign, 1827. The first Sac menh chi bao royal seal is said to be made in Tran dynasty in wooden material. This seal belonged to King Tran Thai Tong (1225 - 1258) and used for ordering or declaring royal ordinances in the early time of the resistance war against the first invasion of Chinese - Yuan dynasty to Dai Viet (1258).|date=24 July 2016|accessdate=28 March 2021|author= Dinh Phuong Cham (original Vietnamese) - Tran Trang (English)|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=en}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 07:35, 28 March 2021 (UTC) .

• http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/1001/28552/bao-vat-quoc-gia-an-vang-truyen-quoc-cua-chua-nguyen-phuc-chu-nam-1709.html
  • <ref name="Baotanglichsu-Đại-Việt-Quốc-Nguyễn-chúa-Vĩnh-trấn-chi-bảo">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/1001/28552/bao-vat-quoc-gia-an-vang-truyen-quoc-cua-chua-nguyen-phuc-chu-nam-1709.html|title= Bảo vật quốc gia: Ấn vàng truyền quốc của chúa Nguyễn Phúc Chu năm 1709. - Đây là chiếc ấn có niên đại sớm nhất trong lịch sử tồn tại của vương triều Nguyễn. Ấn được đúc vào năm 1709, đời chúa Nguyễn Phúc Chu (1691 – 1725). Ấn có hình vuông, kích thước như sau: cao 630cm; dài cạnh10,84cm; dày 1,10cm; trọng lượng 2.350gr.|date=7 December 2017|accessdate=28 March 2021|author= Đinh Phương Châm (Phòng QLHV)|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 22:08, 28 March 2021 (UTC) .

Unidentified Seal Inscriptions (USI)

「心正筆正」、「賢於心好」、「文行化成」。

Have yet to attribute these to any specific Nguyễn dynasty Emperors.

Maybe, maybe not

• http://nghethuatxua.com/gioi-thieu-an-trien-trong-noi-cac-trieu-nguyen/

Finishing touches

• https://luutru.gov.vn/vai-tro-va-vi-tri-dong-dau-cua-cac-loai-an-tren-tai-lieu-chau-ban-trieu-nguyen-213-vtlt.htm
  • <ref name="Cục-Văn-thư-và-Lưu-trữ-nhà-nước-ấn-chương-Triều-Nguyễn">{{cite web|url= https://luutru.gov.vn/vai-tro-va-vi-tri-dong-dau-cua-cac-loai-an-tren-tai-lieu-chau-ban-trieu-nguyen-213-vtlt.htm|title= Vai trò và vị trí đóng dấu của các loại ấn trên tài liệu Châu bản triều Nguyễn. - 02:00 PM 10/01/2012 - Lượt xem: 931 - Trải qua các triều đại, ấn chương Việt Nam ngày càng phong phú về loại hình và hình thể.|date=10 January 2012|accessdate=4 April 2021|author= Ths. Đoàn Thu Thủy – Nguyễn Thu Hường|publisher= Cục Văn thư và Lưu trữ nhà nước (State Records And Archives Management Department Of VietNam)|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 10:01, 4 April 2021 (UTC) .

• https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/forum/2015/09/150903_vua_bao_dai_va_an_kiem
  • <ref name="BBC-News-Paris-Vietnamese-artifacts-2015">{{cite web|url= https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/forum/2015/09/150903_vua_bao_dai_va_an_kiem|title= Bảo Đại trao kiếm giả cho 'cách mạng'? Mùa thu năm trước Bảo tàng Lịch sử Việt Nam mang chuông sang gióng ở thủ đô Pháp.|date=4 september 2015|accessdate= April 2021|author= Phạm Cao Phong (Gửi cho BBC từ [[Paris]]) |publisher= [[BBC News]] ([[British Broadcasting Corporation]], [[Government of the United Kingdom]]) |language=vi}}</ref>

• https://www.vamvo.com/Hue/tabid/1097/ArticleId/1805/currentpage/4/Default.aspx
  • <ref name="Vamvo-TTXT-du-lịch-Huế">{{cite web|url= https://www.vamvo.com/Hue/tabid/1097/ArticleId/1805/currentpage/4/Default.aspx|title= Bảo tàng cổ vật cung đình Huế, ngắm Kim ấn và Kim sách - 23/04/2016 - 1306 view. Sáng 23/4, Bảo tàng Cổ vật Cung đình Huế diễn ra lễ khai mạc triển lãm “Bảo vật hoàng cung: Kim ấn và kim sách thời Nguyễn”. Đây là hoạt động khởi đầu tuần lễ kích cầu du lịch Di sản Huế và chào mừng Festival Huế 2016. Tham dự có Phó Bí thư Tỉnh ủy, Chủ tịch UBND tỉnh Nguyễn Văn Cao; Phó Chủ tịch UBND tỉnh Nguyễn Dung. Các hiện vật nói trên được Bảo tàng lịch sử Quốc gia cho Bảo tàng Cổ vật Cung đình Huế mượn trưng bày đến 23/6/2016. |date=23 April 2016|accessdate=4 April 2021|author= TTXT du lịch Huế (Huế Tourism Centre)|publisher= Vamvo.com|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 11:40, 4 April 2021 (UTC) .

• https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/ky-an-an-kiem-thoai-vi-bao-dai/5567691.html
  • <ref name="Voice-of-America-Bảo-Đại-abdication-1">{{cite web|url= https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/ky-an-an-kiem-thoai-vi-bao-dai/5567691.html|title= Kỳ án ấn và kiếm tại lễ thoái vị của vua Bảo Đại (Kỳ 1).|date=2 September 2020|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= Tiến sĩ Luật Cù Huy Hà Vũ (Tác giả là một luật gia, học giả và nhà bất đồng chính kiến, cựu tù nhân chính trị Việt Nam).|publisher= [[Voice of America]] (VOA) Tiếng Việt|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 06:23, 5 April 2021 (UTC) .

• https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/bao-dai-thoai-vi-tran-huy-lieu-cu-huy-can/5569165.html
  • <ref name="Voice-of-America-Bảo-Đại-abdication-2">{{cite web|url= https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/bao-dai-thoai-vi-tran-huy-lieu-cu-huy-can/5569165.html|title= Kỳ án ấn và kiếm tại lễ thoái vị của vua Bảo Đại (Kỳ 2).|date=3 September 2020|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= Tiến sĩ Luật Cù Huy Hà Vũ (Tác giả là một luật gia, học giả và nhà bất đồng chính kiến, cựu tù nhân chính trị Việt Nam).|publisher= [[Voice of America]] (VOA) Tiếng Việt|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 06:23, 5 April 2021 (UTC) .

• http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/3101/71447/nhung-kim-bao-djoi-vua-thieu-tri-1841-1847.html
  • <ref name="BTLSQGVN-6-Thiệu-Trị-period-seals-in-the-Museum">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/3101/71447/nhung-kim-bao-djoi-vua-thieu-tri-1841-1847.html|title= Những Kim Bảo đời vua Thiệu Trị (1841 - 1847). - Vua Thiệu Trị có tên là Nguyễn Phúc Miên Tông, ngoài ra còn có tên là Tuyền và Dung. Ông là con trưởng của vua Minh Mệnh và bà Hồ Thị Hoa (Tá Thiên Nhân Hoàng hậu), sinh ngày 11 tháng 5 năm Đinh Mão (16/6/1807) tại ấp Xuân Lộc, phía Đông kinh thành Huế. Năm Quý Mùi (1823) theo phép đặt tên của Đế hệ Thi, Hoàng tử Dung có tên mới là Miên Tông. Ông là con trưởng trong số 78 hoàng tử của vua Minh Mệnh nên được nối ngôi. |date=23 April 2020|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= TS. Nguyễn Đình Chiến|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 23:08, 4 April 2021 (UTC) .

• http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/3101/18676/an-trien-djong-trieu-nguyen.html
  • <ref name="BTLSQGVN-Bronze-seals-of-the-Nguyễn-Dynasty">{{cite web|url= http://baotanglichsu.vn/vi/Articles/3101/18676/an-trien-djong-trieu-nguyen.html|title= Ấn triện đồng triều Nguyễn. - Ấn triện bằng đồng là loại liên quan đến uy quyền. Vua Nguyễn cấp ấn triện cho những bề tôi là để ban ủy quyền cho các bề tôi thay mặt vua cai trị dân. Nghiên cứu về ấn triện bằng đồng thời Nguyễn sẽ hiểu thêm về hệ thống quan chức triều Nguyễn cũng như nhiều vấn đề khác liên quan.|date=14 October 2015|accessdate=5 April 2021|author= Lan Phương (Tổng hợp)|publisher= [[National Museum of Vietnamese History|BẢO TÀNG LỊCH SỬ QUỐC GIA (VIETNAM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY)]]|language=vi}}</ref>
    •  Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 20:00, 10 April 2021 (UTC) .

State of Vietnam administrative divisions

• User:Donald Trung/State of Vietnam administrative divisions. (Spin-off project.).
  • https://mocban.vn/en/about-us/significant-collections/
    • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/1015026380&type=revision  Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 08:29, 30 March 2021 (UTC) .

North Vietnamese autonomous regions

• User:Donald Trung/Autonomous regions of North Vietnam.
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/1015174833&type=revision  Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 00:57, 31 March 2021 (UTC) .

Seals during the Nguyễn dynasty period (Early April 2021)

In case I wish to copy it back. --Donald Trung (talk) 19:47, 5 April 2021 (UTC) .

Overview

The seal of the Viện cơ mật (Nguyễn dynasty, French Indochina) with transliterations on the right to both Traditional Chinese characters and Latin script. Government agencies and mandarins typically had their own seals.

The Nguyễn dynasty's seal are rich and diverse in types and had strict rules and laws that regulated their manipulation, management, and use. The common practice of using seals was clearly recorded in the book "Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ" on how to use seals, how to place them, and on what kinds of documents, which was compiled by the Cabinet of the Nguyễn dynasty in the year Minh Mạng 3 (1822).

Seals in the Nguyễn dynasty were overseen by a pair of agencies referred to as the Office of Ministry Seals Management - Officers on Duty (印司 - 直處, Ấn ty - Trực xứ), this is a term that refers to two agencies which were established within each of the Six Ministries, these agencies were tasked with keeping track of the seals, files, and chapters of their ministry. On duty of the Office of Ministry Seals Management were the correspondents of each individual ministry that received and distributed documents and records of a government agency. These two agencies usually had a few dozen officers who would import documents from their ministry. Usually the name of the ministry is directly attached to the seal agency's name, for example "Office of Civil Affairs Ministry Seals Management - Civil Affairs Ministry Officers on Duty" (吏印司吏直處, Lại Ấn ty Lại Trực xứ).

Seals were also given to people after they received a noble title. For example after Léon Louis Sogny received the title of "Baron of An Bình" (安平男) in the year Bảo Đại 14 (保大拾肆年, 1939) he was also given a golden seal and a Kim Bài (金牌) with his noble title on it. The seal had the seal script inscription An Bình Nam chi ấn (安平男之印).

The various seals of the Nguyễn dynasty had different names based on their function, namely Bảo (寶), Tỷ (璽), Ấn (印), Chương (章), Ấn chương (印章), Kim bảo tỷ (金寶璽), Quan phòng (關防), Đồ ký (圖記), Kiềm ký (鈐記), Tín ký (信記), Ấn Ký (印記), Trưởng ký (長記), and Ký (記).

Imperial seals

After becoming Emperor in 1802 with the establishment of the Nguyễn dynasty, Emperor Gia Long decided to continue using the Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo seal. It was carefully kept in a box out of sight and, unlike the other imperial seals, kept in the Trung Hoà Palace, the sovereign's personal residence located in the Purple Forbidden City. The imperial seal was not presented to court until the enthronement of a new sovereign.

According to the historian Lê Văn Lan the Emperors of the Nguyễn Dynasty, like the earlier monarchs of Vietnam, all took their seals as the symbol of the supreme governmental power of both themselves and the monarchy as a whole. Besides the imperial seals that were used in government administration, there were also special seals carved that symbolise titles, which usually went with a golden book (or "Kim Sách"), specific seals for worship ceremonies (for dead Emperors), or special seals that were exclusively stamped on poems or paintings.

Because the Emperors of the Nguyễn dynasty were all personally very much involved in the affairs of the state they produced a large number of seals each for very specific functions and most could be handed over to their successors. These seals sometimes only represent the emperor himself as an individual, and sometimes they also act as representatives of the imperial court. From the content of the seals used by the Emperors privately, it can be seen that the numerous different seals of the Nguyễn Empire were used on different occasions.

In the third month of the year Bính Tý, or Gia Long 15 (1816), Emperor Gia Long instructed the court to create special clothes, hats, and seals for himself and the crown prince to denote independence from China. These regalia all depicted five-clawed dragons (蠪𠄼𤔻, rồng 5 móng), in Chinese symbolism (including Vietnamese symbolism) five-clawed dragons are symbols of an Emperor, while four-clawed dragons are seen as symbols or kings. To denote the high status of Emperor all monarchial robes, hats, and seals were adorned with five-clawed dragons and ordered the creation of new seals with five-clawed dragons as their seal knobs to showcase imperial legitimacy. Meanwhile the wardrobes and other symbols of vassals and prices were adorned with four-clawed dragons symbolising their status as "kings".

During the reign of Gia Long seals were produced with the inscriptions Chế cáo chi bảo (制誥之寶), Quốc gia tín bảo (國家信寶), Mệnh đức chi bảo (命德之寶), Phong tặng chi bảo (封贈之寶), Sắc chính vạn dân chi bảo (敕正萬民之寶), Thảo tội an dân chi bảo (討罪安民之寶), Trị lịch minh thời chi bảo (治歷明時之寶), and Ngự tiền chi bảo (御前之寶).

During the reign of the Minh Mạng Emperor many kinds of seals were made from different materials, each for specific purposes.

Inscriptions used by previous dynasties were at times also re-used when producing new imperial seals. For example an imperial seal with the inscription Sắc mệnh chi bảo (敕命之寶) was first created at the time of the Mongol invasions of Đại Việt and Champa during the reign of Trần Thái Tông of the Trần dynasty and was used to stamp documents ordering or declaring royal (or imperial) ordinances during the early days of the war. The Trần dynasty period Sắc mệnh chi bảo seal was made of wood, but later versions of the Sắc mệnh chi bảo were primarily made of silver and gold. Precious metal Sắc mệnh chi bảo seals were made during Later Lê, Mạc, Revival Lê, and Tây Sơn dynasties. Under Minh Mạng a Sắc mệnh chi bảo seal was made for the Nguyễn dynasty, this seal was used on imperial ordinances until 1945. Furthermore, the seals of the Nguyễn lords such as the Thủ tín thiên hạ văn vũ quyền hành (取信天下文武權行, "Win the trust of all under heaven, seal for military texts.") also remained in common use until the year Minh Mạng 9.

It wasn't until the year Minh Mạng (1822) that rules were laid out for how, when, and where seals had to be used on official documents. Modern scholarship based on the books "Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ" and "Minh Mệnh chính yếu" concluded that the the first stamps of a document were reserved for the Thủ tín thiên hạ văn vũ quyền hành, Quốc gia tín bảo, Văn lý mật sát, Ngự tiền chi bảo. These imperial seals were all cast in either gold or silver and were considered to be national treasures. Gold seals were often prominently placed on the era dates to signify the importance of the Emperor and the official nature of the document. The Văn lý mật sát seal was used to enclose important words, corrections, and revisions of different versions, threads, chapters, and books. The role of this precaution was to re-verify the corrections, fixes, additions, and to avoid unlawful fabrication.

During the reign of Emperor Thiệu Trị, 2 large jade stones were found in the year Thiệu Trị 4 (1844), these two large jade stones were presented to the imperial court by the people and the Emperor commissioned two jade seals to be created from these stones, namely the Thần hàn chi tỷ (宸翰之璽) and the Đại Nam Hoàng Đế chi tỷ (大南皇帝之璽).

Emperor Thiệu Trị commissioned a new imperial seal to replace the Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo seal as the imperial seal in the year 1846, this seal had the inscription Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ (大南受天永命傳國璽, "The Great South has the eternal Mandate of Heaven, jade seal for the transmission of the legacy of the Empire"). The modern Vietnamese reading of the inscription is Ngọc Tỷ truyền quốc của nước Đại Nam, nhận mệnh lâu dài từ trời. The creation of the heirloom seal started in 1846 and was made within one year's time.

According to the historical records during the year of the Horse (năm Bính Ngọ), or the 6th year of Thiệu Trị's reign (1846), while some people were searching for gold and precious stones in Ngọc mountain, Hòa Điền District, Quảng Nam Province, they dug up a very large piece of jade that extremely brilliant and shiny. After their discovery they had offered to the Emperor. Upon receiving the large and rare jade the Thiệu Trị Emperor saw it as an auspicious omen and ordered a new seal to be carved from it. This became the Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ seal. After a year's worth of effort and talent, the engraver had finished making the seal and offered it to Thiệu Trị.

Upon receiving the heirloom seal Thiệu Trị immediately held a large Đại tự ceremony to confer that he had the Mandate of Heaven and prayed to have a long and prosperous reign. After the ceremony was completed the new heirloom seal was ordered to be stored in the Trung Hòa Palace in the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Cung Càn Thành) complex alongside the Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn Chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo heirloom seal of the Nguyễn lords.

It had a handle in shape of a rolling dragon, it is 14.5 cm high, 13x12.7 wide, and 4.25 cm thick. It has the words meaning "Day 15, month 3 year Thiệu Trị 7" (紹治七年三月十五日, Thiệu Trị thất niên tam nguyệt thập ngũ nhật) carved into it. On the left side of the heirloom seal it is engraved with the Chinese characters "Đắc thượng cát lễ thành phụng chỉ cung tuyên" (得尚吉禮成奉旨恭鐫, Modern Vietnamese: Được ngày lành lễ Đại tự đã làm xong phụng chỉ khắc). On the head of the dragon on the top of the seal, it has the words carved "To serve in Nam Giao (南郊) ceremony" (南郊大禮邸告, Nam Giao đại lễ để cáo; Modern Vietnamese: Để tế cáo Đại lễ Đàn Nam Giao). This heirloom seal is said to be the biggest and most valuable among the ones produced by the imperial family of the Nguyễn dynasty. The Đại Nam thụ thiên vĩnh mệnh truyền quốc tỷ was used for diplomatic decrees and it was protected by the dynasty as an extremely valuable treasure.

During the reign of the Tự Đức Emperor the Nguyễn dynasty lost the Cochinchina campaign against the joint Franco-Hispanic forces and were forced to pay indemnities. Because the national treasury did not have enough gold bullion to pay, Emperor Tự Đức had to recover some gold and silver treasures that were displayed in the palaces to pay the French and Spanish. In the year 1869, the Tự Đức Emperor had ordered the princes (hoàng thân and hoàng tử) princesses (công chúa) to return the seals and needles that the imperial court had previously given them. After that, the Tự Đức Emperor had "renovated" (reissued) their items in the form of bronze seals and needles.

Under the Tự Đức Emperor a round ivory seal with the 12 character inscription Hoan phụng ngũ đại đồng đường nhất thống Thiệu Trị chi bảo (歡奉五大同堂一統紹治之寶) written in 4 lines was created. The seal knob of this ivory seal is shaped like a dragon holding a wish-granting pearl. This seal was used on documents that record the joys and pleasures of the Emperor and the imperial family.

Sometime after the abdication of the Hàm Nghi Emperor an octagonal version of the golden Ngự tiền chi bảo (御前之寶) seal was created, this seal was usually stamped with the two Chinese characters "khâm thử" to indicate that a grammatical or other kind of error was present in the text. Before the creation of this octagonal seal the Ngự tiền chi bảo was always oval in shape.

A Sapèque d'Honneur ("Cash coin of Honour") certificate issued to Jules Garnoux, it displays two different seals used by the Khải Định Emperor using Traditional Chinese characters and one using Latin script rather than the traditionally used ancient seal script, also notice that different seals were used for the French and Vietnamese (Classical Chinese) texts of the document. Dated Khải Định 7 (1922).

In 1886, under the reign of the Đồng Khánh Emperor, the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam was established, which featured a blue enamel with the design of a seal reading Đồng Khánh Hoàng Đế (同慶皇帝) in seal script.

Following the unexpected death of the Đồng Khánh Emperor a successor was chosen by the French and the court-mandarins in the form of Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Lân, Prince Quang Thái, who became the Thành Thái Emperor. The Directorate of Imperial Observatory declared 1 February as a most auspicious day for the enthronement. On 31 January 1889, according to rites, the young prince had made his lais to his ancestors in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and he then received the regalia of the Nguyễn dynasty. However, Thành Thái should also have received the jade heirloom seal known as the Ngọc-Bi on this day, but this seal was removed from the palace by Hàm Nghi during his flight from the capital and was subsequently lost in the mountains of the Quảng Bình Province.

During the reign of the Duy Tân Emperor a secret wooden seal with the inscription Tải Toả Võ Công (載纘武功, "Continue military works") was created for documents related to the Vietnamese independence movement against French occupation. Léon Sogny, director of security in Huế, wrote about it in a letter in which he claimed that the seal was discovered by the Khải Định Emperor. Furthermore Sogny noted thay some of the seal script characters characters resemble those of a seal produced under Nguyễn Ánh (the future Gia Long Emperor) when he was fighting against the Tây Sơn Rebellion in an effort "to reconquer the Kingdom".

Until the reign of the Khải Định Emperor most jade, silver, golden seals as well as the kim sách and ngân sách were kept at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, these were all strictly confidential. Without the orders of the Emperor nobody was allowed to open or even touch the seals. Every year, just before before Tết Nguyên Đán, the Emperor would order the mandarins to perform the Phất thức ceremony and open all the caskets and then inventorise the treasures inside of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. After opening the casket the Mandarins would wash each seal with fragrant water and then use a cashew cloth to dry it and return it back to their original place.

During the Khải Định period imperial seals with inscriptions written in Traditional Chinese characters instead of seal script began to be carved.

Around 1942 archivist and autodidact Paul Boudet, who was director of the archives and libraries of French Indochina, was granted access to all palaces and libraries of the Nguyễn dynasty in the Forbidden City by the Bảo Đại Emperor. Bảo Đại allowed him to study and record all the treasures stored in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Precious items were moved out of cabinets and boxes for him to read, take notes about, and take pictures of. According to Paul Boudet there were 46 gold and jade seals belonging to the Emperors and Empresses stored in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, as well as 26 Kim Sách. Paul Boudet published his research and findings in Les Archives des Empereurs d’Annam et l’histoire annamite (Hanoi, IDEO, 1942).

Quan phòng

The Quan phòng (關防) type seal appeared from the Gia Long period until the Minh Mạng period. The Quan phòng was usually stamped on the name of the signing party or at times at the "month" (月, nguyệt) part of the date present on a document. This type was primarily used for the internal affairs of various government offices, for example for use by the the Court of Justice exclusively for internal affairs.

Đồ ký

According to historical records, the Đồ ký (圖記) type of seals had to be placed on filings, private papers, books, salary, and reports. During the Nguyễn dynasty period the Đồ ký type of seal was often found on documents used by ethnic minorities, often on documents using their own scripts.

The Đồ ký was usually stamped on the "month" (月, nguyệt) part of the date present on a document.

Kiềm ký

The Kiềm ký (鈐記) seal type was used by low-level mandarins and military commanders in charge of of estuaries, border gates, small boat fleets, passes, Etc. It was usually stamped on the "month" (月, nguyệt) part of the date present on a document. Another feature of the Kiềm ký type of seals is that many of these seals had inscriptions written in Traditional Chinese characters as opposed to seal script.

Trưởng ký

The Trưởng ký (長記) type of seals was commonly used by the chiefs of cantons and communes. This is considered to be the mark of lowest-level of local mandarins. The Trưởng ký was usually placed next to or below the section with the mandarin's full name at the end of the text to confirm the authenticity and responsibility of the participating mandarin. By the end of the Nguyễn dynasty period Trưởng ký were typically rectangular with Traditional Chinese characters in the middle and Latin script (romanisations) on the outer area.

Tín ký

The Tín ký (信記) refers to general seals that were created by or for mandarins of any rank. From the Gia Long period all mandarins were allowed to make their own seals as they wished. The Tín ký were free to be used as individual seals in the fields of religion, personal beliefs and convictions, culture, and commerce in the Nguyễn dynasty. It was used to the stamp the position of the name of the signing party akin to how a signature works.

By the year of Minh Mạng 7 (1826), there began to be specific rules made for the usage and creation of Tín ký seals. According to the Khâm định Đại Nam hội điển sự lệ a mandarin was allowed to make a custom square seal made of ivory or wood. This seal was engraved with the name of the mandarin. New standard sizes were also introduced during this period. But overall these new rules weren't intended to change how the Tín ký were used, though it did specify that they had to be stamped below the date of each document using the same ink as the text on the document.

In addition, the Tín ký was commonly affixed below or next to the text used to indicate the title of the person or their name. Usually Tín ký were used by local officials for regional documents and served to identify the mandarin signing the document to other regional (low-level) mandarins.

Talk page entries

== Missing seals ==

「心正筆正」、「賢於心好」、「文行化成」。

I have yet to attribute these to any specific Nguyễn dynasty Emperor. If someone reading this lives in Hanoi it would be great if they would purchase the Nguyễn dynasty imperial seals catalogue from the national museum.

== Scope of the article ==

As is evident by the intro, the initial drafts of this article were meant to cover only the imperial seals of the Imperial Nguyễn family (so from the Nguyễn Lords period to the Nguyễn Dynasty period) and what happened to them following the independence of North Vietnam. Due to the fact that in the "Seal (East Asia)" article Việt Nam is mentioned as an afterthought with less information about Vietnamese seals and seal culture than the Philippines on it as this was written, despite Việt Nam being a Chinese cultural country like Japan, the Ryukyu islands, and Korea, it is somewhat treated as "the red stepchild of Chinese cultural countries" in many Wikipedia articles (perhaps reflecting off-wiki biases). In fact, the article incorrectly stated that seals have been effectively abolished in modern Vietnam, despite this not being the case, though I also added the "Seals in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" section as "a compare and contrast" with the seal culture of the Nguyễn Empire, as the scope of the article changed.

The most noticeable change was the addition of just general seal culture of the Nguyễn Dynasty as well as to whom seals were awarded (such as when receiving a noble title). Then as I had discovered more general information about the seal culture of the Nguyễn Dynasty through the Vietnamese National Archives I could fill in the parts about seal culture in general. In fact, the study of Nguyễn Dynasty seals is in itself an academic discipline and seals were used at every level of society from the very top to the very bottom, hence after adding a list of imperial seals I also added a list of government office seals.

But this then shows the contrast between the imperial seals of the Nguyễn Dynasty and the Nguyễn Lords (as the original article was intended for) and general Nguyễn Dynasty seal culture between 1802 and 1945. As the infobox is very much about the "national seal" (The Heirloom Seal of the Southern Realm) and the Vietnamese translation is specifically about the seals of the Nguyễn Imperial family. Hence the different names "Bảo", "Tỷ", "Ấn", "Chương", "Ấn chương", "Kim bảo tỷ", "Quan phòng", "Đồ ký", "Kiềm ký", "Tín ký", "Ấn Ký", and "Ký" which in European languages would simply be translated as "seal(s)".

Initially the whole "Post-1945" section was also meant in relation to the imperial seals having left Huế (the capital city of the Nguyễn Dynasty), but as I found out about more information regarding the fate of the seals after the August Revolution and in the current day I added more information, as I would think that readers interested in the subject might also want to know where you can find these seals today and how they ended up where they ended up.

== List of government office seals ==

I had initially created the list of government office seals to both represent the workings and functions of the Nguyễn dynasty government on the English-language Wikipedia (something which hasn't been done in much detail up until this point), and primarily to list some uploads I had made to Wikimedia Commons, but as government office seals of the Nguyễn Dynasty extended all the way down to commune and district levels I think that in the future a "List of government office seals of the Nguyễn dynasty" article should be created. As that list would simply be too extensive for this article, there are a 100+ (one-hundred plus) imperial seals, 84 (eighty-four) of which are in the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Hanoi, that is a relatively "short" and an easily manageable list, but the thousands of government office seals of the Nguyễn dynasty should have their own article if someone can actually find and import these seals to Wikimedia Commons and work them into a concise list.

Distant future

• http://carnetdephilippe.canalblog.com/archives/2008/03/08/8249277.html
  • User:Donald Trung/Kim khánh (金磬) Les Carnets de Philippe Truong expansion.
    • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/1017125685&type=revision  Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 23:58, 10 April 2021 (UTC) .

Abdication of Bảo Đại

• https://vi.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi%E1%BA%BFu_tho%C3%A1i_v%E1%BB%8B_c%E1%BB%A7a_B%E1%BA%A3o_%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i
  • https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/forum/2015/09/150903_vua_bao_dai_va_an_kiem
  • https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/bao-dai-thoai-vi-tran-huy-lieu-cu-huy-can/5569165.html
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guimet_Museum