Continuing on this Junk Silver blog series, we’re stepping up the shiny silvery awesomeness from the 1996 Portugal Discovery series. If you like ships, then Portuguese Commemorative coins should be on your list to check out. Here’s the link of the previous post series.
“Black birds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven.
Ben of HK Colonial coins just happened to stumble across the entire 1996 Portuguese set at a recent spring show and asked me which one do I want? And I immediately said all ‘four of them.’ The Junk was the first priority but since they were all available, why not. I’ve seen the actual original carded 1996 set. Some Dealers are patient and willing to break a set selling them as individual coins often selling better individually. Knowing Ben, he’d find a reasonable middle ground price.
The Silver Junk
Macau is situated a short distance west across the bay from Hong Kong. They are now connected by the amazing 55 km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge system, the longest sea crossing in the world. I’d like to go see it should I get the opportunity to go explore my Asian roots.
It was said, while the flight of able bodied Chinese ‘Young Geese’ travel to find their fortune always travelled from Hong Kong. At the time those heavily indentured often found themselves in Macau to pay their debts as slaves. A startling contrast between these two places as viewed by my ancestors that preceded my mother by a mere three generations ago.
Macau is located on a peninsula of land west side of the Pearl River estuary in an area originally 33 sq. kilometers expanded to present day 115 sq. kms. After a number of clashes with the Ming Chinese the Portuguese finally acquired the rights to establish a trade colony in 1557 paying a lease of 500 Taels a year in silver to the Ming.
The Portuguese had trouble establishing trade relations so the Macau became more a stopover port with their trade with Japan. As time went on trust was in short supply with the Portuguese building fortifications such as the Fortaleza do Monte were built and the Guia Fortress against the Chinese conditions of their lease.
For 442 years of Portuguese rule over the Peninsula of Macau was handed back over to China on December 20th, 1999 and in return China will guarantee Macau’s political and economic system until 2049 as a Special Administrative zone.
A few Macau facts; 2024 Population of 712,600, Per Capita GDP $125,000 wow! And what was their primary industry? Gambling.
Bonus Junk Silver
Teng Meng; Chronicles of the Bloody Raven
A large crescent moon begins it’s climb from the horizon into the sky, the golden dragon has eaten his fill and has retired for the night. A crewman lights a lantern and hangs it off the bow of the ship while another takes down the stern sail.
It was almost a hundred years since she first sailed the Pearl river Estuary back with the original Storm Crow Brigantine. She was Mintauru then, when she first met Ching Shih.
The waters were deceptively calm in the South China sea. Darkness was always perfect cover for any of Shih’s many pirate vessels and style. But those days are gone and the memory the notorious Pirate queen and the politics has faded into history. The lamps of Macau’s tall fortifications could still be seen from the ship.
It was Gai Jin Won, great grandson of Mr. Won’s medicine shop that personally delivered her medicine and the news of events that forced the hand of the Bloody Raven to return to fix a problem. A Warlord threatens Mr. Won’s modest herbal shop and she promised to protect their interests... It is time for this Warlord to meet Teng Meng the Red Dragon. But first she must visit Ching Shih’s secret resting place to bestow a measure of respect and perhaps some amends for not able to fulfill a personal request.
The Junk slowed and turned starboard along an open space on the wharf gliding in with a gentle thump against the timbers. At the Captain orders the junk to be secured when two of the crew leaped off and secured each line from the bow and the stern.
Junk Fiat 1935 Republic of China
She unbuttoned her overcoat before stepping onto the wharf and warmer air. “Solid ground, feels good to be back on solid ground.”
Two men approached the Junk; one with a lantern and the other with what appeared to be a ledger, “Where is the Captain? A Mooring fee must be paid in advance.”
“I will pay the fee. I hired the Captain." She replied.
He lifted the lamp. She wore a Chinese red silk Cheongsam under a Portuguese ladies’ walking coat, then illuminating her masked face, startled he pressed on with his business, “Two Taels of silver for first day, and another four Taels for tax and as refundable deposit!”
The request bought back a familiar memory, “What? A tax and deposit? I am not naïve to believe that,” she snapped.
The Harbor master sneered with contempt at the woman’s reaction, he took a step back and a hurriedly waved forward a few armed thugs from the shadows. “Foreign women should not be allowed to do such business you Portuguese should know because even your own Governor says so!”
“It has always been just one silver Tael, I will take this to the Governor later in the morning.” Opening her coat revealed the hilt of a weapon that hung at her right side. She touches the hilt once as if gauging his reaction before her purse emerges from her left. She very slowly counts out six Taels as her eyes locked at the Harbor master’s.
A sudden breeze picks up blowing out most of the shore lamps, the air around them grew cold as the moon itself dimmed bathing the entire wharf in shadow except for the Harbor master’s sole lamp. The masked woman holds out six silver sycee, “What is your name Harbor Master of Macau?” Her steady gaze and tone chilled his backside and his heart began to race, fear gripped his soul to a point that he felt an urge to flee even with his henchmen nearby. It felt as if he gave his name to this strange woman that his soul was bound with it.
He hesitated but gave in to her influence, “Liu... Gee Foong…” he gasped. The faces of his henchmen began to show a palpable fear.
She dropped the silver into his palm, “I want a receipt Mr. Liu.”
Liu instantly nodded to the Book keeper. His aide hastily wrote out a receipt and cursed aloud if for not a better word, willing the ink to dry faster. The aide’s hand trembled as he handed the paper slip to the pale masked woman, “P... paid in full.”
“I will visit you later Harbor master Liu.” She replied in a low growl. She turned to look at the Harbor master’s oil lamp.
The flame inside lamp suddenly flickers out.
Stacking Hive and Precious metals for that dark and stormy night!
Related Post
From Pirate Queen Ching Shih and the Raven’s skull.
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 & Sources
Photos are my own shot with an ancient 2018 Samsung SM-A530W or otherwise indicated.
P. Image under Pixabay
W. Wiki Commons
☠️🎃 Page Dividers by thekittygirl. ❄️🌞
Cameo Raven Brooch from The Black Wardrobe.
The 2024 Hive 0.999 Silver Round.
Wiki; Macau.
Wiki; Ching Shih.
Physical precious metals bullion stacking is only a part of my personal overall financial strategy. Collecting has different objectives and goals apart from Stacking. Please, Do your research before deciding to buying any numismatic or bullion products.
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That Portuguese 200 Escudos is a beautiful proof coin! That's one to be proud of! Then you add on the pendant and bill both with more ships, so cool! The pendant is pretty, a nice piece of silver loot! It would be fun for you to explore those Asian roots and travel over there. I've never been but Macau is supposed to be beautiful. They only have until 2049 before the CCP takes full control of the government though, that was a very interesting factoid that I didn't know. Thanks!
!BBH
I believe I have time to visit Macau, Singapore and Hong Kong by then. I know I have some distant relatives that are hopefully still there and I have a few clues to follow. I’ve been picking up Chinese silver in various forms and it’s been fun exploring the role of silver as money my ancestors went about doing their daily business. This latest coin represents one chapter in the economic history of this region. The most interesting period would be 1805 - 1810 the time of the Pirate Queen Ching Shih.
!BBH
Very cool! I hope you do get the chance to visit and explore. The Pirate Queen did very well for herself, she commanded a huge fleet at the height of her career. Do you have any silver from the region in that date range?
!BBH
That would be a challenge to find anything attributable to Ching Shih. Finding something from that Era wouldn't be too difficult since what coinage that circulated at the time are by far are the bronze cast coins usually small denomination used in daily every day commerce. And the majority of Booty taken in by the Red Flag fleet are in the form of goods and commodities. Seldom silver that were most often on Ming warships and trade ships.
I have managed to piece together a small collection of Chinese silver. A modern replica Sycee at the top left, Center; unknown vintage? silver Sycee needing further investigation.
I imagine anything directly tied to her would be outlandishly expensive. The one in the center there is really cool, if you figure out the vintage let me know!
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Amazing coin! I dont have any portuguese coin that would be nice 😬
A Portuguese speaking #silvergoldstacker with no Portuguese coin? Has the world gone mad? I hope you can solve this issue, for some reason it just doesn't seem right.
!LOL
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Beautiful 4 x 200 Escudos, and pendants, sis, and an equally wonderful read!
I do have that one:
Much !LUV sis 😍
!LADY
I could clearly remember your coin Sis, SilverD510 posted his too. Then there was a new member had the same 5 coin set. It was sheer coincidence that my Hong Kong contact came across a carded set and a broken set of proofs around that time. I sat on these since for the sake of spacing from those posts.
Too much of a good thing !LOL
And that gave me the time to frame this post with the pendants and the banknote for the background and context.
Then I decided to use a warm light for a vintage tone.
I tend to put a lot into this but…
Always, with !LUV 🤗🌺❤️
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That 1935 Republic of China note is perfect for this post. The original bank when bust of course and the silver it kept in reserve is long gone before anyone knew it. "If you don't hold it, you don't own it."
I forgot to credit you a percentage for renting your banknote collection.
Thanks again @punkysdad
That's not really necessary. I like to see someone like you making some use of and enjoying this collection.
PD
Beautiful coin, the pendant is cute.
Have a wonderful Wednesday 👋🏻😊
!LADY
Thanks @littebee4I !LUV these pendants and I have a few perfect silver chains to spare. They look ideally toned with a natural golden hue, I’d hate to spoil that finish so I wore them a few times already but kept them in capsules to avoid further darkening. There is a spray enamel I need to find to seal these in a protective coat if there isn’t one already.
!LADY
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Sounds perfect to have some nice chains with them.
I know what you mean. Hope you find the enamel to seal them. 💃🏻
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Ms. Ravenhill @kerrislravenhill
Thank you for Sharing the Beautiful Pieces. I am so excited today since the World came back to some Sanity Last Night.
!LUV
!LADY
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I could feel the tension as the US went into this election. I found network coverage confusing and awkward from my point of view. But I also felt that the whole world hung in the balance on the result of this historically pivotal election. The election may be over but hard work is yet to be done and I can only pray that he can do the best that he can, and that God’s angels continue to protect him. As we know, the undeterred Deep State will make their next move. “Be careful and watch your back Mr President.”
Pray for Trump @stokjockey
!LUV
!LADY
Ms. Ravenhill @kerrislravenhill
You asked me about a Mummy in Splinterlands Last Week and I did not Forget your question so I am going to send you the Wrapped Up Mummy Card from Halloween. Enjoy Young Lady. Thank You always for Your Kindness, I appreciate It........
Venari Muskrat ...............
Lore
Venari marksrats spend more time in the forests than they do underground. Most of it is taken with hunting and foraging, with marksrats being the main food gatherers for the venari colonies that inhabit the upperdark caverns of the Realm of Silence. They are incredibly agile and have honed their hunting skills to perfection.
Their crude bows are fashioned out of branches and saplings. Don't be fooled by their unrefined look, though. These skilled archers can still hit a fleeing rabbit at a hundred yards with precision. They hunt alone or in packs, and if you ever manage to spot one, you can guarantee they saw you first and have been watching you for some time.
!LUV
!LADY
Thank you again @stokjockey
I'll have to set some time aside to get into playing Splinterlands. I have so much on my off-line plate to do.
❤️
!LUV
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nice coins
!BBH
Thank you @bokica80
And welcome aboard me blog.
!PIZZA
Beautiful Portuguese set of coins, I'll take more "Junk" coins like these....stack on my friend!!😀
And all the better reason to buy the other three coins of the set. I have a few more Junks in my collection to come and one by mail soon.
Thanks for coming aboard @silvertop
!LUV
!BBH
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Very interesting history with this set of “Junk” coins!👍😊
Looking forward to you showing some more!😊
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Nice one. I think that i have that somewhere
I know you do @silveerd510 When it comes to ships I remember as well as two other identical coins. What a coincidence, or is it?
!PIMP because we love ships.
Damn nice coin. Maybe I'll get one too 🥰
This is turning out to be a favorite Club Coin as I will be the forth Hiver having this particular coin. You would make it as the fifth if you get this Macau coin @trumpman
!LUV to look forward to seeing it in your blog.
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I look at the Portuguese Escudos and think, how is this junk, it looks so beautiful !LUV
The hangers are really cool as well, I love how you took a picture of them sailing the waters of the fiat bill! You are such a creative soul, I love it!
Sending you lots of love and a great weekend ahead !LADY
Some readers don't realize that the Chinese, or better yet Asian Junk refers to a typical all purpose ship characteristic to the region. While Stackers use the term Junk for circulated business strike silver, I used it here as a 'Play on words.'
I have the Wiki link on this post.
A common wooden craft that is the marine mainstay of the Asian coastline and old pictures of Hong Kong harbor used to be full of them. There's no more in Hong Kong any only a few are left in museums.
You just learned something new!
!LUV
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Damn! bookmarked that because I can't focus reading much right now but I already see in your comment and opening the link that it's a good resource for later. Thanks sis !LUV
It makes sense already because to me it surely doesn't look like junk :)
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Nice! From the “Junk Fiat” to the metals it’s all very interesting! 🪙
My vote power is a bit drained so here’s a bonus tip for the good content! Cheers! 🐦⬛ 🖤
Always striving to set the high bar in good content.
Thanks for the HSBI
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He should have known better than to insult her!
A beautiful piece sis and I also like the charm you have there. Nicely detailed. Thanks for sharing the story! Take care and have a lovely evening! !PIMP
Before Ching Shih became the pirate queen she didn't get much respect either. The Charms, I had to show these beautiful sterling silver junks.
Thanks for the support Sis.
!LADY
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Always sis!🤗💜 !HBIT !PIMP
A peculiar way of spelling for that ship, and very misleading. I was confused when you said "Junk Silver" at first. I mean, even if its not a pure silver coin, it is quite pretty.
In silver gold stacking vernacular, Junk Silver is colloquially referred to as old silver business strike coins that are meant as hard circulating cash with a silver commodity under .999 fineness.
My use of Junk Silver is a play on words of a silver coin featuring a Junk, that is a small wooden ship of South Asian origin having a characteristic design used in variety of marine and river functions of transportation and trade services.
I am part Chines so I am having some fun discovering and learning of my family history I hardly know of.
Thanks for dropping in @beatminister
For them women couldn't do business, but she had more balls than any man, she stares at the captain, the strange woman literally gives them Jake mate, I like reading this, they underestimated her and she gives them a good lesson, I liked the story and also the coin with the ship design
The Pirate Queen Ching Shih one hundred years prior broke the mold for woman. And some people never learn.
Thanks for dropping in @lupega
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