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2024MW S500F Cameroon Year of the Dragon – Gilt
On February 10th of 2024, the Year of the Dragon officially begins, and that means it’s time to not only usher in a new astrological year, but to welcome an exciting new silver coin that celebrates the fifth sign in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. In a word, this coin is spectacular and has all the bells and whistles any collector hope for!
A Crystal-Clear Dragon Design
Let’s start with the design, or more correctly, dragons—plural—because this jaw-dropping design shows a pair of Eastern Dragons coiling around to form a numeral 8. That’s incredibly auspicious because the number 8 is the luckiest number in Chinese culture. Its pronunciation sounds like “Ba,” which sounds like the word “Fa,” a phrase that means to make fortune. Therefore, the number 8 is associated with wealth, prosperity, success, and status. To the lower right of these curving and coiling dragons is the Chinese symbol for “dragon.” Positioned just below the bottom dragon is an inscription that reads “YEAR OF THE DRAGON.” The inscription is further augmented by the addition of a red ruby crystal inserted into the coin’s surface in the “O” in the inscription where “OF” is located.
Struck by the prestigious Mint of Poland in nearly half an ounce (14.14 grams) of highly pure 99.9% fine silver, the coin takes on an ethereal glow thanks to an exceptionally bright orange-and-black colorization of the dragon. As a final touch, the coin has been generously plated with a layer of vibrant Black Ruthenium. The contrast is as striking as it is beautiful.
The reverse of the coin features the Coat of Arms of Cameroon, with the inscriptions: REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN - the issuing country, Ag 999 - the fineness of Silver, 500 FRANCS - the face value, 2024 - the year of issue.
Limited worldwide mintage of just 1,388 (notice the repetition of the lucky number 8?).
Cameroon
Cameroon, on the Gulf of Guinea, is a Central African country of varied terrain and wildlife. Its inland capital, Yaoundé, and its biggest city, the seaport Douala, are transit points to ecotourism sites as well as beach resorts like Kribi – near the Chutes de la Lobé waterfalls, which plunge directly into the sea – and Limbe, where the Limbe Wildlife Centre houses rescued primates. ― Google
Capital: Yaoundé
President: Paul Biya
Prime minister: Joseph Ngute
Official languages: French, English
Currency: Central African CFA franc
Population: 27.91 million (2022) World Bank
Dialing code: +237
Photos taken with Nikon D3300 DSL Camera with attached AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G lens. Adobe Photoshop Elements used to fix any digital artifacts.