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Piratesunday: The 1897 British Trade Dollar – The Dogecoin effect part 5

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“Black birds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven

With more than five Litecoins remaining in my LTC hot wallet and with the recent firming up with Crypto prices I can continue what I themed as my Dogecoin Effect posts. If you are new to my Blog, it was the product of a sizable Dogecoin windfall that prompted me to set aside a small portion as profit into gold and silver whist the remaining majority is invested into better quality cryptos.

And it feels great upgrading into a Dolphin sized Hive account so I can hand out some meaningful upvotes rather than old dust and a pat on the back.

On to a recent pair of acquisitions.

The Trade Dollar

1897 British Trade Dollar

Obverse; Standing Britannia allegory holding Trident to the left, Shield emblazoned with the Union Jack to the right, Ship on the Left, Oriental border.

Legend; ONE DOLLAR. 1897

Silver 0.900, Weight 26.97g

Diameter 39mm, Thickness 2.7mm

Engraver; William de Saulles

This lovely British Trade dollar was lingering on my Wish List for some time and recent realized auction prices have gotten crazy with governments printing cash like crazy. Generally, the collectables market has been on fire from Pokemon cards to Vintage cars, even our own Splinterlands gaming platform is reaping amazing valuations.

Ben, of HKColonials had a decent Trade Dollar specimen with a few Chop marks and after some personal deliberation I decided to acquire this delightful piece of economic history into my collection. Ben in turn sent visual Sigma Machine Verification proof that the coin is the genuine thing, as Trade Dollars have been notorious for counterfeiting. And upon receipt I have positive tested the coin on my CyberCurtainTwitcher (CTC) Neodymium slide.

1897 British Trade Dollar

Reverse; Chinese floral design, Oriental Border

Legend; Chinese ‘One Dollar’, Jawi ‘One Ringgit’

Mintage of 21,286,400, The Bombay Mint

Reference KM#t5

This Trade Dollar appeals to me at different levels.
My friends know my love of sailing ships and a merchant ship is clearly featured on the lower left quadrant of the Reverse. I have tried to research the Identity of the ship modeled on the coin but coming across the Engraver’s notes is difficult to find. So based on the historical context and sail configuration of the ship, it appears to be that of an East Indiaman class. The backbone ship of the East India Company. And thus, brings up the sordid history of EIC’s role in the Opium Wars.

The exotic floral pattern also appeals to some of my own family roots as I continue my family tree exploration. Wondering what it was like to live, endure and succeed in that social and economic culture prior to the arrival of Communism.

And For Comparison...

2018 2 Pounds Britannia Oriental Border

Reverse; Standing Britannia allegory holding Trident to the left, Shield emblazoned with the Union Jack to the right, Oriental Border

Legend; BRITANNIA ONE OUNCE 999 SILVER, 2018, NATHAN

0.999 Fine Silver, Weight = 31.21g

Diameter 38.61mm, Thickness 3.0mm

Engraver; Philip Nathan


According to Engraver artist Phillip Nathan this 2018 Britannia does defer to the original British Trade Dollar as the addition of the oriental border along with her similar pose clearly parallels the original British Trade dollar. The ship is noticeably absent. Perhaps the Engraver was aware to the nature of this controversy and thus attribute the inspiration from…

Philip Nathan’s classic interpretation of Britannia is flanked by an ornate oriental border, inspired by the Chinese-themed banqueting room at Brighton’s Royal Pavilion. The design has similarities to the British Trade Dollar first struck for use in the Far East during the reign of Queen Victoria… ~ Numista Comment.

2018 2 Pounds Britannia Oriental Border

Obverse; Fifth portrait Queen Elizabeth facing Right

Legend; ELIZABETH II·D·G·REG·F·D·2 POUNDS· J.C

Edge Reeded

Mintage 100,000, by The Royal Mint

Reference Sp# BF20

Engraver; Jody Clark

The Second acquisition, the 1935 Japan 50 Sen

Most striking are the Pair of Phoenixes dominating the coin. The symbol adopted to represent the Japanese Imperial household namely that of the Empress. A symbol has it’s origins from Chinese folklore when the Phoenix disappears then the kingdom is not united and only reappears upon a new Era and peace is achieved.

For now, until further information comes to light, I like to think of the pair as united pair male ‘Feng’ and ‘Huang’ female.

1935 Japan 50 Sen

Obverse; Pair of Phoenix, Chrysanthemum, Paulownia with Karakusa symbols

五十錢, 50 Sen

Silver 0.720, Weight 4.95g

Diameter 23.5mm

At the 12 o’clock position, the Imperial Seal of Japan represented by the Chrysanthemum. Representing the Prime Minister’s office and the governing Cabinet is the Paulownia crest at the 6 o’clock position. The adjoining pair of Karakusa sprigs symbolizing of Rejuvenation and Longevity.

1935 Japan 50 Sen

Reverse; Shining Sun with the Sacred Mirror, Floral styled border, Cherry Blossoms at 3 and 9 o'clock

本 日 大,Great Japan

年 十 和 昭,Year10 of Shōwa (1935)

Mintage of 11,738,334

Edge; Reeded

Reference Y#50, JNDA# 01-17

The Sun figures predominantly in Japanese culture and folklore as the Japanese Goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, as ruler of the universe and principal god of Japanese Shinto representing fertility and giver of life. And, It is believed that Japan’s Royal family descended from this goddess. Amaterasu-ōmikami means “Sacred Goddess illuminating the Sky”

There is so much to unpack in this coin's cultural symbolism, but all in all a beautiful coin!

Always spicing things up, what kind of Silver do you have in your Stack?

Thank you for coming aboard my blog today!

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!

The Dogecoin Effect Posts

Mail Call from Monsterjamgold

Mail call from hkcolonialcoins and Nyssacat373 Part 1

Mail Call from hk-colonialcoins and Nyssacat373 Part 2

The Dogecoin effect Part 3; The Beast has landed!

Dogecoin effect Part 4: The Crypto side of the equation

Sources

PCGS; History of the Trade Dollars

Coinweek: The History of the US Trade Dollar

Wiki; Trade Dollar

Web; Trade Dollar

Hou-ou; The Japanese Pheonix

The Japanese Goddess Amaterasu

References

  1. My own pictures shot with a Samsung SM-A530W

P. Image under Pixabay

R. Clip art from 123RF

W. Wiki Commons


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