”Blackbirds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven
Nyssacat373 had some time on his hands to source me a Satosan round. I’d be happy to have this Japanese themed round just for the Dragon Reverse that was inspired from the original Silver Japanese One Yen Trade Dollar. Then he tossed in the old map. More on that later.
The Silver Round
Tsukiakara 月明かり translates to Moonlight.🌙
The round design was sculpted by Luigi Badia in 2016 in the second year following Satosan Metals began minting silver rounds in 2015 for public sale. Since then, Satosan Metals had on other artisans like Heidi Wastweet and Sandra Deiana creating other additional round designs to their product line.
Reeded? This round has a peculiar error that it has no Reeding! This was not intended but the lot of 250 Reedless rounds were sold to a single buyer and was deemed a variety rather than an error. Whether this becomes a rarity we would have to let the market decide that, otherwise this 2021 version Tsukiakari is as beautiful as the original 2016 version.
The controversy hasn’t ended there.
Apparently, this was not the only variety as the first 100 minted rounds were classified as Rotated die error with the Obverse/reverse misaligned about 45 Degrees. Rather than melting these down the rounds were designated Variety 1 and were already sold into the public.
Tsukiakara Mintages;
Year: Quantity: Serial Number
2016: 300: 0001-0300
2017: 200: 0301-0500
2018: 100: 0301-0600
2021:? 15K?
Alas, information is hard to come by on Satosan products. I was quoted a 2021 mintage of 15,000 contradicting another source quoting that the 2021 was made only to demand but I could not substantiate it. The website is out of date, and I get the feeling things are not going well with business. I understand that a number of small private mints are suffering supply issues and unable to source bullion to maintain operations. The Great River Mint was the latest post-Covid casualty.
And so far, Satosan Metals have been eerily quiet about any 2022 products. The possible demise of this small private mint does not bode well for other private mints suffering the same supply issues.
The Fabulous Vintage Map
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.
Prior to the 18th Century maps are useful but not very accurate. With improvements in the quality of Navigational equipment like the Sextant in the mid-18th century, map making made leaps and charting bounds in the hands of talented navigators like Captain James Cook, followed by Explorer surveyor David Thompson, creating accurate charts that could even be used today.
Sweet old vintage map and it wasn’t too expensive. I’ll be using this as a backdrop to my Asian/Trade Dollar series in future posts.
Thank you again, Nyssacat373 for helping me source this artwork.💋
Always saving by adding Silver and Crypto to my Stack for that rainy day or dark and stormy night!
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My other Related and Themed Posts
What’s in the Bag? GSM Samurai bar
The Karasu, Samurai Money
2018 Fuji Dollar The Samurai Archives
1895 Japanese One Yen Trade Dollar
David Thompson Explorer/surveyor Canadian Commemorative.
Captain James Discovery of Cook Nootka Sound Canadian Commemorative.
References
Sources
“Et lux in tenebris to serve laboro, sum sicarius” “I work in the shadows to serve the Light, I am an Assassin.”
