- Country:Canada
- Collection:Gold Commemorative $200
- Metal:Gold
- Year:2016
- Denomination:$200
- Finish:Complete
- Weight (oz):1.0
- Purity:0.9999
- Mintage:588
- Product type:Coin
In Chinese tradition, the tiger and the dragon have taken many different forms and lived many adventures. They are also associated with two of the four compass directions-dragon is East, tiger is West-sitting in balance with one anotherin a timeless and universal duality.
A beautiful, thoughtful gift, and a token of good fortune! Order your coin today!
Special features:
A FIRST! A SQUARE-HOLED GOLD COIN! Your pure gold coin is beautifully designed and engraved using traditional Chinese imagery and motifs on both sides.
MULTIPLE FINISHES. The elaborate design by Canadian artist Charles Vinh has been produced in painstaking detail using multiple finishes.
UNIQUE OBVERSE. On the obverse side of your coin are two elaborately carved phoenixes-fittingly associated with the feminine, the Empress, and the Queen when juxtaposed with the Dragon. The phoenixes flank each side of the central square hole, above which is the effigy ofHer Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The effigy is engraved within a smooth polished circle that is detailed on each side with stylized scrollwork, and this scrollwork is continued in elaborate detail on the bottom half.
LOW MINTAGE OF ONLY 588. Your coin has no GST/HST and a limited mintage worldwide of 588. A lucky piece, sure to be sought after!
Design:
Designed by Canadian artist Charles Vinh, your coin features the image of a tiger and a dragon facing one another across the coin's pierced centre. This central square hole is a traditional motif used in Chinese minting to represent the Earth and the national landmass. Above the hole, the stylized yinyang symbol, created using different finishes, underscores the coin's central theme of balance. The yinyang symbol is surrounded by elemental flames. On the leftside of the image, the Tiger, associated in Chinese tradition with the western compass point, shows its back to the viewer as it climbs toward the top ofthe image. Its face is viewed in profile as it turns its head toward the Dragon on its right. On the right side of the image, the Dragon, associated withthe eastern compass point, is presented in profile, facing the Tiger to its left. Its claws are raisedand its scale-covered body coils sinuously. The obverse design, also by Charles Vinh, features two elaborately carved phoenixes-fittingly associated with the feminine, the Empress, and the Queenwhen juxtaposed with the Dragon featured on the reverse of the coin. The phoenixes flank each side of the central square hole, above which is the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.The effigy is engraved within a smooth polished circle that is detailed on each side with stylized scrollwork.
The Dragon has long been a Chinese cultural motif and is found on artefacts dating back thousands of years. This mythical figure was often associatedwith the highest echelons of human power and became synonymous with the Emperor himself. As a totemicsymbol, the Dragon is master of water in the many forms it takes in nature, from oceans, lakes and rivers to water spouts, waterfalls and water-based tornadoes. Dragons also held many legendary magical powers-invisibility and flight among them. Because they could fly, dragons were also associated with ascension, which may explain the creature's close affiliation with the role of Emperor.
In direct contrast with the ethereal, elusive magical dragon, the Tiger was a very real and present force for people who dwelled in the massive feline's natural habitat. Courageous, dignified, vastlyintelligent and cunning, the Tiger was often depicted as a protector of human life, a figure who wouldbring strength and bravery to the average person. In this way, the relationship between the Tiger and the Dragon may also be seen as the leavening of imperial power with the needs and will of the people.
Packaging:
