PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
COINS OF INVENTION AND DISCOVERY IN ANCIENT CHINA - SERIES ONE - - ANCIENT SHIPS AND SHIPBUILDING
RARE GOLD ONE-HUNDRED YUAN COIN
CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 69 ULTRA CAMEO
OBV: SECTION OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA WITH TWO TOWERS; DATE BELOW.
REV: A TOWERED "JUNK" WAR SHIP OF THE HAN DYNASTY (206 BCE-220 CE), WITH BANKS OF OARS AND AT FULL SAIL AT SEA, SHIPBUILDERS FOREGROUND; DENOMINATION BELOW.
THE SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD (722-481 BCE) OF THE ZHOU DYNASTY BEGINS THE NAVAL HISTORY OF CHINA ON A GRAND SCALE. LARGE FLOATING BARGE "CASTLE SHIPS" INCLUDED GUARDED RAMPARTS, MULTIPLE DECKS AND WERE ESSENTIALLY FLOATING FORTRESSES. OAR STEERED SHIPS WERE EMPLOYED IN THE EARLY FIRST MILLENIUM, MOUNTED WITH RAMS, AND WERE REMISCENT OF GREEK TRIREMES. THE HAN DYNASTY UTILIZED STERN-MOUNTED RUDDER STEERING TECHNOLOGY, ALONG WITH OAR POWER AND FULLY-BATTENED SAILS, IN THEIR JUNK SHIP DESIGN. THE JUNK DESIGN WAS USED EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT SOUTHEST ASIA FOR OCEAN VOYAGES, SOME TRAVELLING AS FAR AS SYRIA AND IN THEORY, EVEN REACHING THE ANCIENT AMERICAS. CHINESE JUNKS ARE STILL WIDELY USED TODAY.
KM # 415
CONTAINS 31.1035 GRAMS OF .999 FINE GOLD (1 OZ AGW)
32 MM IN DIAMETER
ONLY 1,000 MINTED!
