Silver Investment Coin Black Flag - The Red Flag Fleet 1 Oz 2021

Black Flag: Ching Shih, The Red Flag Fleet 2021

Minted by the Perth Mint in 2021 in the finest 99.99% pure silver, the 1 Oz (31.1 g) silver investment coin is the third coin in the Black Flag series, dedicated to the famous pirate ships. The 2021 design features the Chinese pirate Cheng Shi, who commanded the Red Banner Fleet.

The reverse of the coin depicts Chinese junks sailing under full sail. On the deck of the sailing ship in the foreground, Zheng Shi is depicted wearing male clothing and carrying a drawn sabre. She retains her femininity with an ornate headdress in her hair and a traditional Chinese bun. The mint mark 'P' completes the motif. The rim of the coin is completed with the inscriptions "THE RED FLAG FLEET", "BLACK FLAG: CHING SHIH", information on the weight and purity of the metal and the symbols of pirates - a skull and crossbones.
Cheng Shi was born in 1775 as Shi Xiang-ku in the city of Canton in southern China. Her poor origins predestined her for a career as a prostitute. The turning point in her life came when a brothel was raided and kidnapped by pirates. When their commander, Zheng Yi, decided to marry the girl, she asserted her share of all his ships and shared power together. In the years that followed, the pair built an invincible fleet of hundreds of Chinese sailing ships. After her husband's death, Zheng Shi managed to maintain his power over the fleet and command over 80,000 sailors. She enforced strict rules and punished violations harshly. The unruly captain dominated the South China Sea and the coastal towns where she collected "taxes".
The Red Battalion fleet of 1,500 junks failed to stop the Portuguese, the British, or the Chinese emperor, to whom it sank 60 government ships. As a last resort to end the fleet's rampage, Emperor Zheng Shi offered amnesty to the fleet and its army on the condition that they abandon piracy. She accepted the offer and, with most of her men, was also allowed to keep the booty. After returning to civilian life, she remarried her former aide-de-camp. The most powerful pirate of all time became a gambling house owner and lived out her days in peace in her native province. She died in 1844 at the age of 69.

The obverse shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian-Rank Broadly and the inscriptions 'QUEEN ELIZABETH II', 'TUVALU 1 DOLLAR', the year of issue and weight and fineness details.

The coin comes in a protective plastic capsule and is limited to a mintage of only 15,000 for the entire world!

This product is part of the following product sets: