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!
How about Falcore from the classic movie The Neverending Story?
Please create a Flying Dragon, possibly breathing fire. Very sexy, huh?
I don’t know the story but I love silver
I’d like to see another rendering of nidhoggr from your earlier series of Nordic creatures. Barring that, you just can’t go wrong with any dragon!
I think they should use the Zahhak from Persia, the Lindworm from Germany, and of course the original Kur from Sumeria.
I would like to see the Leviathan referred to in the book of Job.
Toothless, from How to Train Your Dragon.
Dragons are real.
I love dragons (tattoos to prove it) and would like to add these to my collection.
cool dragon ! hope i win !
All of them!
I like the full dragon design! It looks awesome and I would love to own one!
I’m Chinese descent, I visited China many times, I love Chinese Dragon, every Chinese Emperor used Chinese Dragon symbolize their power throughout ancient Chinese history.
In no particular order, the next 3 releases should be:
1) japan dragon
2) slavic dragon
3) Indian dragon
I would like to see a Wyvern depicted in the series.
Germanic and medieval European.
As one who loves the Lord of the Rings, I still say that Ancalagon the Black would make a great coin.
Love silver
Any, I think they are all awesome.
For the final three, I’d like to see the hydra from Greece, the ouroboros from Egypt, and the piasa form the Illini.
love the dragon set rounds I only have one hope I win this it would be my first silver dragon round
Chinese fireball of course!
I think the Sea Dragon Leviathan would make an amazing addition to the series. Loving these silver rounds so far.
I read your blog because it is interesting and educational.
Top of the morning Provident Metals,
My first choice would be the ‘Hydra’ dragon.The Hydra is the most notorious, uniquely dangerous dragons whose head once hacked off will grow back ( Hydra is multiheaded!) making this dragon difficult to defeat. The Hydra is mentioned in Greek and japanese mythology as well as the Christian Bible where it is the adversary of Saint Michael and in Greek mythology the Hydra was the Second of Heracles’s Twelve labors. Hydra is a nine headed serpent with the body of a lion and the heads of snakes.Yikes!
Second choice: The ‘Wyvern/Wivern’ found in the medieval bestiaries of Europe ( in particular England and France) the Wyvern are highly aggressive and predatory it has the body of a serpent, the head of a dragon and wings of a bat. They are considered malevolent and dangerous and slain on sight.
My third and final choice: The West African Dragon Aido-Hwedo(rainbow serpent and also appears in the Egyptian Pantheon as ‘Apep’) is a multi-colored dragon that is both male and female is described as a giant python like serpent with vast coils and today can be seen in the sky as a rainbow, or in the light reflected off water. Aido-Hwedo carried ‘Mawu-Lisa'(The Supreme Creator Deity) in it’s mouth as she created humans on the first day, and thereafter made everything else.
Looking forward to what Provident metals decides to offer next to this amazing series!! My only regret is not being able to aquire complete ‘TUBES’ of each. Heavy Sigh!
Sincerely.
J.L.H
Los Angeles, CA
like them all
There are so many great dragons, it is hard to ask for just one.
I think I’d ask for ones from famous historical art. Perhaps a great statue or painting.
Finally getting back into silver stacking. Would love to add these rounds to my stack
Aztec dragon
Puff the magic Dragon