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!
Quite striking images and relief!
Puff the magic dragon would be hilarious or japanese could be cool too.
the Chinese zodiac would be awesome
dragon of Revelation
flying dragon being ridden by a wizard
chained dragon looking out of a cave
Definitely the Chinese dragon, I think that is the most classical Design.
Any dragon would please me.
I would like to see a Hydra added to the collection.
Left silver dragon coin looks more detail
Vibria
Kui
Gyo
1. Vibria
2. Kui
3. Gyo
How about a sea dragon like the leviathan.
Can’t wait until they get to the US part and it’s the intro to the kids show dragon tails on the front
For me personally all that are made are outstanding, I have no particular one I like more than the other. Thank you for the opportunity
Increase the series beyond 6.. some many dragons to honor!
a set of dragons from each direction(northern , southern, eastern..)
elemental dragons (although they are similar..(fire, ice, earth..)
Year of the dragon official 2019!!
Japanese Dragon, Burmese dragon,Hydra
Elliot from Pete’s Dragon!
Any Dragon would look great.
Persian dragons.
These coins have been one of the favorites for collectors around the world. Great series.
An English Author dragon would be nice. there are Scottish and Cambodian dragons as well as Mayan, and Peruvian.
I would like to see:
Wyvern
Fairy Dragon
Norwegian Ridgeback
Smaug the dragon from The Hobbit
I was thinking about a water dragon. So, what about Ryū? This Japanese dragon is known to be benevolent. Maybe he will grant me the wish of winning the rounds!
Fire Wyvern for copper
Lighting Wyvern for silver
Would sell out in a heartbeat
The three headed dragon from I Love Lucy.
The luck dragon
Puff the magic dragon w/ Jackie Paper
Any dragons. Love seeing all the new designs!
I can’t wait for you to make Hydra and Wyvern dragon coins. These coins are a really cool set. Please come out with a display box soon.
Hydra – Greek mythology
Hungarian Horntail – Harry Potter
Arnaud – Lord of the Rings
A lindwurm would be neat to see in the series.
1. Puff the magic dragon
2. Patagonian dragon
3. Japanese dragon
I would like to see BAHAMUT or maybe even better choice would be the primordial Babylonian goddess TIAMAT. Actually BOTH would be excellent choices for a coin but if I had to choice one the 5 headed TIAMAT would have to be my choice.
Thanks!