Old Sails: A stylized Carrack from Portuguese Malacca

Here is one of my favorite ships.
   This one is small dime-sized coin (measuring 17mm and 2.2 grams) of tin and lead. It has no legend or date,  but it has been identified as a one dinheiro coin from the Portuguese colony at Malacca. The colony was located in Malaysia and was a major port along the spice-route.
   This colony was seized from the local shahs in about 1511, and it remained in Portuguese hands until 1641 when the Dutch East India Company took control. The colony was heavily fortified and was never safe, as it was surrounded by Islamic states that wanted to reassert themselves.
   This piece has been attributed to the reign of Sebastian of Portugal who ruled from 1557 to 1578.
   The ship appears to be a stylized carrack. Its symmetrical rendering fills the flan. Carracks are characterized by bold fore- and aft-castles. These features produce a U-shape where the middle section of the ship is lower at the gunwales. This feature is evident on the Portuguese coin. Also, it appears that the bow is facing right, as the fore-castle shows slanting line at its forward base.
   Carracks tended to have deep hulls suitable for carrying cargo -- this appears to be emphasized on this coin as well. Finally, two masts are seen: a large center mast with two stays and a small foremast. Both masts have yardarms at the top.
   Carracks were introduced by the Portuguese and Spanish in the late 13th century and were popular for the next two centuries in various forms. The early ships had two or three masts, whereas later (and larger) ships could have four masts. A combination of square and lateen sails were used.
   In contrast, cogs were used primarily in the North Sea and North Atlantic by nations in the Hanseatic League. Although the bold center mast is similar to those found on cogs, the attribution of this coin to Malacca in the mid-1500s strongly suggests that this ship is a carrack and not a cog.
   On a personal note, I like the simplicity of the design. It fills the face of the coin with just enough elements to tell its story. The guides used by the engraver are clearly evident: a large center dot and a circle lightly etched into the die face. The lines are hand-cut with enough irregularity to pull you in. There are no rims to protect the bold lines of the ship, adding to its primitive look. Finally, the patina on this particular coin is just right in my opinion: encrusted corrosion salts create a pleasing contrast.