26 Centuries of Gold
1588 Philip II
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Coin Details
| Origin/Country: |
ITALY - TO 1600 |
| Item Description: |
DOPPIA 1588 MILAN FR-716 PHILIP II (6.54g) |
| Full Grade: |
NGC AU 53 |
| Owner: |
deposito |
Owner Comments:
1588 is the year Philip II send the Spanish Armada with 130 ships and 30,000 men to invade England. It left on May 28-30 of that year and was defeated in battles starting July 31 through August 7 before slinking off to get wrecked further by storms. Queen Elizabeth had her "Armada Portrait" painted.
Meanwhile in France King Henry III was duking it out with strict Catholics, finally wiping them out on December 23.
The most famous sword hunt was ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1588. Several times in Japanese history, the new ruler sought to ensure his position by calling a sword hunt (刀狩, katanagari). Armies would scour the entire country, confiscating the weapons of the enemies of the new regime. In this manner, the new ruler sought to ensure that no one could take the country by force as he had just done.