Almost every culture on earth has its own ancient dragon myth. And we are proud to bring them to life in our EXCLUSIVE World of Dragons series of 1 oz silver and copper rounds! The third release in this exciting 6-design series celebrates The Chinese dragon, one of the oldest and most powerful symbols in Chinese history.
No one knows for sure when dragons were first introduced to Chinese culture, but they’ve appeared as far back as 5,000 BC. The figure of the Chinese dragon is thought to be a combination of several ancient Chinese tribal totems, incorporating elements of the sacred number nine. For example, the beast is said to possess nine animal resemblances: the antlers of a stag, the head of a crocodile, the eyes of a demon, the neck of a snake, the belly of a tortoise, the scales of a fish, the palms of a tiger, the ears of a cow, and the claws of an eagle.
Unlike its fearsome, fire-breathing European cousins, the Chinese dragon is a benevolent symbol of strength, good luck, and nobility. To the ancients, it was a water and weather god that could form clouds, hide in deep waters, expand to the size of the universe, or even glow in the dark.
Dragons were a powerful symbol of the emperor in many Chinese dynasties. According to legend, the imperial forefathers were born of dragons. The imperial throne was referred to as the Dragon Throne. And dragons were a prominent feature in imperial palaces and tombs, such as at the Forbidden City in Beijing.
As “descendants of the dragon”, the number nine was also the sacred number of the emperors. Only the emperor and most senior officials were allowed to wear nine dragons on their robes. During the 17th-century Qing dynasty, the dragon was adopted as the national flag. Since that time, it has gone on to serve as the official emblem of the modern Peoples Republic of China.
Depictions of Chinese dragons often show them chasing or fighting over a flaming pearl. The pearl symbolizes wisdom, prosperity, and immortality, which always lies just beyond the dragon’s reach. The Dragon is one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, and Dragon years are usually the most popular to have children. In fact, even today, there are still more people born in Dragon years than in any other animal years of the zodiac.
The limited edition Chinese Dragon design is the third in a series of 1 oz silver and copper rounds celebrating the dragons of the world. The obverse features the creature’s serpentine form in mid-pounce as it finally grasps the long-pursued pearl of prosperity. The reverse depicts the powerful reptilian eye of the dragon. Its piercing gaze is surrounded by the inscriptions “World of Dragons” along with the metal content, weight, and purity.
Which brings us to…. our June giveaway! Which dragons would you like to see for the final 3 releases in the series? Let us know in the comments! We’ll randomly choose one comment on June 30th to win a FREE 1 oz The Chinese Silver Round and a 1 oz The Chinese Copper Round from our exclusive World of Dragons series! Good luck!
Note: The final mintage of The Chinese will be announced in August 2019. Get yours while you can, because when they’re gone, they’re gone! World of Dragons rounds are released every three months. Each design will only be minted for approximately three months. The fourth release in the series will be available for sale on August 1, 2019. Click the “notify me” button under each design to receive an email for all future releases, so you can be among the first to own each Dragons of the World design!
Hello! With your first three dragon designs demonstrating the fascinating dragonic lores of Europe, Asia, and North America, perhaps the next three could introduce South American, African, and / or Oceania! Some beautiful examples include: Amaru (Chimeric dragon of the Incas), Ouroboros (Egyptian dragon representing the circle of life and death), or Eingana (Australian dragon representing life).
Any of them, they are all amazing!
Maybe Game of Thrones Dragons?
I would say Celtic, Japan, and viking like the fiurehead on the viking ships
You should do the German dragon. Dragons have been common in German folklore for a long time, such as the firedrake.
I think you should make Godzilla the final selection in the Dragon series.. he is, after all, the King of the Monsters (and a dragon) ! I like the Provident private series… my favorite is the Zombucks series. I would really like to see an Elvis Presley series, but I would want to pick the images… too many times, the wrong image of the King of RnR is used. Joe
I know not a dragon of myth or anything but the dragon from GoT would probably be a huge hit and big seller.
Not sure what other dragons there are to choose from, but I and my Grandson both have the first three dragons and are looking forward to the final three releases
These dragons have helped me introduce my grandson to coin collecting and is something we enjoy doing together
A Norse mythology dragon would be cool to see in one of the next releases!
An undead, skeletal death dragon.
Something like the Sindragosa from the world of warcraft or game of thrones.
Smaug of the lord of the rings and the Hobbit fame
Personally, I would like to see one of the Game of Thrones dragons on a coin. Those dragons were fantastic and have given dragons a modern worldwide cultural renewal. Dragons haven’t received such widespread popularity for centuries ever since Game of Thrones renewed interest in them. Put “Drogon” – the last surviving of the original 3 dragons in Game of Thrones – onto one of the coins. Get whatever license you need to do so. They will sell with ferocity – like Dragon Fire!
nice coins
Dragons I would like to see depicted on The World of Dragons rounds are: 1) The British Yellow Reaper, 2) The prehistoric marine dragon (serpent) such as the Loch Ness Monster, and 3) The volcanic inhabitant, the fearsome Red Dragon!! Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this wonderful giveaway!! Have a great day!
The Chinese dragon is one of my favorites. Can’t wait to see what the next designs in the series are going to be!
The Chinese dragon
The Golden Dragon
“If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.”
I recently returned from a trip to Scandinavia. I would love to see a depiction of the Norse dragon, Jörmungandr, also known as the Midgard Serpent. via Wikipedia: Jörmungandr is a sea serpent, the middle child of the giantess Angrboða and Loki. The serpent grew so large that it was able to surround the earth and grasp its own tail. As a result, it received the name of the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent. When it releases its tail, Ragnarök will begin. Jörmungandr’s arch-enemy is the thunder-god, Thor. Cool!
Love the World of Dragons series. Thanks!
Fafnir from Norse mythology!
Any of the three from Game of Thrones!
And or course – Smaug from Tolkien
Dragon
Puff the Magic Dragon
Pete’s Dragon!
“The dragon is a benevolent symbol of strength, good luck, and nobility”. YES
For me it doesn’t matter what dragon it is I will buy them, this is my favorite series to collect and I’ll be buying all future dragons for my collection
A india dragon , African dragon , acient roman dragon
Number 9 sounds good to me
Hungarian horntail
Love the look of the new dragon’s
Dragons are an amazing part of mythology and this is an extraordinary example of the beauty of such a beast.
Love the detail.