1993 AD., Portugal, Republic, 450th Anniversary - first Portuguese landing in Japan on Tanegashima island commemorative, Lisbon mint, 200 Escudos, KM 665.

Portugal, Republic, Age of the Portuguese discoveries series, 450th anniversary - first Portuguese landing in Japan on Tanegashima island commemorative, Lisbon mint, engravers: Eloisa Byrne (reverse), 1993 AD.,
200 Escudos (ø 36 mm / 20,89 g), copper-nickel (Cu 0.75, Ni 0.25), 21,00 g. theor. mint weight, mintage 1.000.000 , axes coin alignment ↑↓ (180°), reeded edge,
Obv.: 種子島 TANEGASHIMA / INCM - 1543·1993 - E.BYRNE , coastal scene with old Portuguese ship at Tanegashima island, mint mark, dates and engraver´s name below, Japanese name 種子島 in Japanese script to left.
Rev.: REPUBLICA PORTUGUESA / 200 ESCUDOS , legend and value surrounding Portuguese shield of arms, stylized mountain skyline and shore to r.
KM 665 .

Year / Mint Mark / Mintage
1993 / INCM / 1.000.000 (copper-nickel) KM 665
1993 / INCM / 22.000 (proof, 26,5 g 0.925 silver) KM 665a
1993 / INCM / 22.000 (BU, 26,5 g 0.925 silver) KM 665a
1993 / INCM / 7.000 (proof, 27,2 g. 0.917 gold) KM 665b

Tanegashima (種子島?) is one of the Ōsumi Islands belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 444.99 km² in area, is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands, and has a population of 33,000 persons. Tanegashima is traditionally known as the site of the introduction of European firearms to Japan. Until modern times, firearms were colloquially known in Japan as "Tanegashima", due to the belief that they were introduced by the Portuguese on board that ship. In his memoirs published in 1614, Portuguese adventurer turned author, Fernão Mendes Pinto placed himself in that first landing party, although this claim has been roundly discredited and in fact contradicts with his claims to be simultaneously in Burma at the time. However, Mendes Pinto does appear to have visited Tanegashima soon thereafter. The Europeans had arrived to trade, not only guns, but also soap, tobacco and other goods unknown in medieval Japan, for the Japanese goods.
Fernão Mendes Pinto (c.1509 – 8 July 1583) was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His voyages are recorded in Pilgrimage (Portuguese: Peregrinação) (1614), his autobiographical memoir. The historical accuracy of the work is debatable due to the many events which seem far fetched or at least exaggerated. Some aspects of the work can be verified, particularly through Pinto's service to the Portuguese Crown and by his association with Jesuit missionaries.
In 1537 Pinto left Portugal for a 21 years journey to Asia. 1542/3 Pinto entered China from the Yellow Sea. Pinto was shipwrecked, apprehended by the Chinese and sentenced to one year hard labour on the Great Wall of China. Before completing his sentence, Pinto was taken prisoner by invading Tatars. He became an agent of the Tartars and travelled with them to Cochinchina, the southernmost part of modern-day Cambodia and Vietnam. Pinto describes his encounter with a "pope-like" man, possibly the Dalai Lama, who had never heard of Europe. Pinto and two companions jumped ship to a Chinese pirate junk and were shipwrecked onto the Japanese island of Tanegashima, south of Kyūshū. Pinto later claimed to be the first westerner to enter Japan.