This is a fine coin shop find last June of 2023 and since @trumpman recently shared his Portuguese sailing ships Escudos and @dbooster’s fondness to Japanese silver, I figure it is a good time to share this lovely silver commemorative coin.
“Black birds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven.
The 1543 date clued me into thinking of James Clavell’s 1975 novel Shogun, a historical fiction novel set on feudal Japan in the late 1500s that became the 1980 TV Drama starring Richard Chamberlain. A new version of Shogun 2024 miniseries starring Anna Sawai is set to be released this month of February. I’m eager to see it.
However, that was not the same event when the Portuguese first landed on Tanegashima in 1543.
The ship represented on this coin is a Carrack. Which can be also be often referred to as a Nao by the Spanish, or Nau by the Portuguese. These three masted ships were well suited to handle rough seas and carry a sizable cargo for its size, ideal for exploration and trade.
Tanegashima is an island of the Osumi Archipelago in the East China Sea with an area of 444 square kilometers under the Tanegashima clan. Today it's under Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture.
The encounter was rather ordinary and peaceful as an unfamiliar ship drifted towards Tanegashima with men wearing strange clothes speaking an unfamiliar language. But like a link in the chain of history, this encounter had far reaching effects of Japanese history.
Among the initial goods traded by the Portuguese was the introduction of European firearms. It was then these match-lock argebus firearms were colloquially termed as ‘Tanegashima’ by the Japanese.
With the advantage of tremendous range over bow and ability to pierce armor this weapon was adopted and used by Samurai and by the rank in file Ashigaru. The firearm had some significant drawbacks; most glaring was the long time it took to muzzle load, prime and fire, the high cost to manufacture and manufacturing time. Another was that rain effected the ability to fire. Despite these issues the ‘Tanegashima’ gun changed the face of Japanese warfare.
Other than guns, other goods from Europe are; tobacco, soaps, wool, and generally products not found in Japan and in return are products like Silk, Lacquer ware, swords and silver. Trade prospered until 1641 when the Portuguese where shunned in favor to the Dutch. Why? Well, that’s another story.
For now, I am pleased to find this lovely silver ship coin, too bad it has some milking but still a great add to the collection.☠️
Have a prosperous New Year of the Dragon my friends 🔥🐉
The #piratesunday tag is the scurvy scheme of Captain @stokjockey for #silvergoldstackers pirates to proudly showcase their shiny booty and plunder for all to see. Landlubbers arrrh… welcomed to participate and be a Pirate at heart so open yer treasure chests an’ show us what booty yea got!
References
Wiki; Tanegashima
Nanbam Art..
Kano Sanruku Namban art.
Numista 1993 200 Escudo Tanegashima.
Wiki; Tanegashima.
1837-1858 Japanese Samurai Era 8.6g Silver 1 Bu Gin Bar.
High Relief Samurai Mask and helmet silver round.
Silversaver’s 2023 Hive Silver Round, to order this 2023 Hive round.
Cameo Raven Brooch from The Black Wardrobe
The background for these photographs is a chart by Rigobert Bonne, a French Cartographer in 1780, Published in “Atlas de Torurtes les Parties Connues du Globe Terrestre, Dresse pour l’Histoire Philosphique & Politique des Establishments & du Commerce des Europeens dan les Deux Indes” by G.T. Raynad. Size 9 ½ x 16 5/8 inches.
My own pictures shot with an ancient 2018 Samsung SM-A530W
P. Image under Pixabay
W. Wiki Commons
☠️🎃 Page Dividers by thekittygirl. ❄️🌞
Cameo Raven Brooch from The Black Wardrobe.
