Although the world is a big place and people from different corners develop their own cultural identities, there are some facets of life and culture that people share across distances. Wales and China may seem like they share nothing in common, but dig deep enough and you’ll find symbols of power that appear in both cultures. The dragon is a prime example of this connection across more than 5,000 miles from one nation’s capital to the other. Today, 2018 1 oz Silver Great Britain Two Dragons Coins are available to you online at Silver.com.
Coin Highlights:
- Ships to you in a protective capsule, a roll of 20 coins, or a box of 100 coins!
- First issue of the new Two Dragons coin design!
- Mintage limited to 50,000 coins only!
- Consists of One Troy ounce of .999 fine silver in BU condition.
- Face value of £2 (GBP) is fully backed by Great Britain’s government.
- Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy appears on the obverse of the coin.
- Two Dragons design is found on the reverse of the coin.
Historically speaking, the dragon has been associated with leaders and power in both Welsh and Chinese history. The East Asian dragon long held symbolic value as a symbol of imperial power and was often in the imagery of the Emperors of China. Liu Bang, founder of the Han Dynasty, even claimed he was conceived after his mother merely dreamt of a dragon.
In Welsh history, the dragon has also associated with men of power. King Arthur was rumored to have used the Red Dragon in his battle standard. King Henry VII used the Red Dragon as one of the supporting beasts in the Royal Arms of England. From early Celtic leaders to the Tudor monarchs, the Red Dragon has symbolized power in Wales and currently appears on the national flag.
The Royal Mint brings these two cultures together in a symbiotic design on the 2018 1 oz Silver Great Britain Two Dragons Coin. Released to commemorate 50 years of operation at the Royal Mint’s South Wales location, the coin also denotes the growing portfolio of Royal Mint coinage in East Asia.
On the obverse of the 2018 1 oz Silver Great Britain Two Dragons Coin you’ll find the new fifth-generation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Capturing the image of Her Majesty at the age of 89, it was created in 2015 by Jody Clark of the Royal Mint. At 33 years old, Clark became the youngest engraver to develop a monarch’s effigy.
The reverse of the Great Britain Two Dragons Coin uses a yin-yang design field that includes the dragon as it is depicted in the two different cultures. On the top of the field is the snake-like depiction of dragons captured in many Asian cultures, while the bottom field has the famed Red Dragon of Wales, with four legs, wings, and pointed tongue and tail.
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