A beautiful vessel….

Afternoon everyone….

By now you all know that I am a huge fan of ships on coins, rounds or bars. I easily have over a hundred different ones in my collection by now.

This one has been an extremely difficult one to track down. I have been searching for this particular coin for many months now, to no avail. I searched every auction site, and two of the best world coin places that I’ve been buying from for years now. I even had those two world coin places looking for me as well.

So after months of searching, I was talking to a friend of mine who’s been a collector for decades as well. He asked me to send him a picture of the coin. In just two weeks time, he said that he found it and it was on its way.

Well that was over a month ago now….

But the wait is officially over. Because today I received a package directly from Portugal where the coin was produced. And inside that package was the silver coin that I’ve been searching for.

If you search for this coin you will easily find a copper nickel version. That’s because there were half a million struck of them. But this silver version there were only 5,050 minted.

It’s a beauty….

A 1998 Portugal 200 escudos India commemorative silver coin.

Here is some info on it from Numista: Issuer Portugal Period Third Republic (1974-date) Type Non-circulating coin Year 1998 Value 200 Escudos (200 PTE) Currency Escudo (1911-2001) Composition Silver (.925) Weight 26.5 g Diameter 36 mm Shape Round Technique Milled Demonetized 28 February 2002 Number N#45550 References KM# 712a, Gomes# R 128.03 Commemorative issue India

Series: IX Portuguese Discoveries Series

Obverse Under a pepper tree twig, the coat of arms of Portugal, the value, and a local boat with lateen sail. Around, country name, date belowr and pearl circle broken by 2 rosettes.

Script: Latin

Lettering: Inscription : REPUBLICA PORTUGUESA 1998 200 ESC

Engraver: Isabel Carriço/Fernando Branco

Reverse Vasco da Gama ship and its name, making sail to the right where shown the coast of India north of Calicut from the map of the Atlas Lopo Homem-Reinels of 1519. 1498 is the year of arrival in India.

Script: Latin

Lettering: Vasco Gama india-1498

Engraver: Isabel Carriço/Fernando Branco

Edge Reeded

Mint INCM Lisbon, Portugal

Now the coin….