Owner Comments:
Pure Silver Coin – Tiger and Dragon Yin and Yang – Mintage: 6,888 (2016)
Mintage: 6,888
Composition: 99.99% pure silver
Finish: proof
Weight (g) 20.86
Diameter (mm) 36
Edge: serrated
Certificate: serialized
Face value: 8 dollars
Artist: Charles Vinh (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)
Designed by Canadian artist Charles Vinh, your coin features the image of a tiger and a dragon locked in battle. At the centre of the coin is a square hole—a traditional motif used in Chinese minting to represent the Earth and the national landmass. Above the hole, the stylized yinyang symbol, created through the use of different finishes, underscores the coin's central theme. This symbol is surrounded by elemental flames. On the left side of the image, the Tiger, its back to the viewer and its face turned in profile to the Dragon on its right, crawls in typical defensive stance amid stylized scrollwork. On the right, the Dragon is presented in profile, facing the Tiger to its left. Its claws are raised and its scale-covered body coils to attack. The obverse design, also by Charles Vinh, features two elaborately carved phoenixes—fittingly associated with the feminine, the Empress, and the Queen. 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. This scrollwork is continued in elaborate detail on the bottom half of the obverse field.
The Dragon has long been a Chinese cultural motif and is found on artefacts dating back thousands of years. This mythical figure was often associated with the highest echelons of human power and became synonymous with the Emperor himself. As a totemic symbol, 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, vastly intelligent and cunning, the Tiger was often depicted as a protector of human life, a figure who would bring strength and bravery to the average person. In this way, the battle between the Tiger and the Dragon may also represent the leavening of imperial power with the needs and will of the people. The Tiger is associated with the yin force, while the Dragon is a yang figure. Together, they represent a balanced whole.