Tuvalu 2021 Dragon & Tiger Bagua Oz Pure Silver High Relief Antiqued Piedfort

Description

In Stock and Available for Immediate Shipment.
SOLD OUT at the Perth Mint.
Tuvalu 2021 Dragon and Tiger with Bagua
2 Troy Ounce Pure Silver Ultra High Relief
Antiqued
Medallic Rimless Proof Antique Finish Piedfort - MINTAGE 888
MINTAGE ONLY 888! You know the drill by now—get the Dragon & Tiger Piedfort before it sells out and the price skyrockets!
This dramatic,
special edition, 2
troy ounce pure silver beauty depicts dragon and tiger, the two most auspicious creatures of the Chinese Lunar Zodiac, locked in their eternal struggle, not only for dominance, but also for balance and harmony, struck in ultra high, medallic relief on this rimless, antique finish piedfort (double thick coin)
!
Revered in Chinese traditional culture, the dragon and tiger are often portrayed together as expressions of yin and yang, the ancient belief that all things in the universe consist of two opposing yet complementary forces. The serpent-like Chinese dragon is a divine, mythical creature embodying power, wealth and good fortune. The tiger, representing bravery, strength and ambition, is also regarded as an auspicious animal, all the more so because of the pattern on its forehead resembling the Chinese character for "king."
According to ancient Chinese philosophy, these wildly different spirits are fierce rivals. When seen together, however, the yin tiger and the yang dragon symbolize harmony achieved through the balance of opposing forces.
The Primal Battle of Dragon and Tiger
The design depicts a dragon and tiger circling around the bagua, a motif incorporating eight Taoist trigrams representing the yin and yang present in all things. In the very center is the taijitu, the black and white symbol that denotes the interdependence of yin and yang energy. There are no legends on the obverse, to further enhance the beauty and heighten the drama of the Dragon and Tiger scene as they face off in their battle of balanced opposition.
Locked in their ancient battle positions, the Tiger and Dragon struggle for dominance—equal and opposing forces, yin and yang. This exquisitely designed, 99.99% pure silver coin celebrates the ageless story of these two mythic powers. These two heroes of Chinese tradition, the Tiger and the Dragon, offset each other precisely to form a perfect whole. The theme of balance is fully realized in the stunning imagery and timeless design of this singular coin.
Truly Rare! Mintage Just 888! Sold out quickly at the Mint!
Get yours today, don't miss out and don't delay!
Yin and Yang
In Chinese culture yin and yang represent two opposing principles in nature. Yin is characterized as slow, soft, yielding, cold, wet, and passive; and is associated with water, the earth, the moon, femininity, and night time. In contrast, Yang is fast, hard, solid, focused, hot, dry, and aggressive; and is associated with fire, sky, the sun, masculinity and day time.
This pure silver gem is struck in ultra high, medallic relief on an extra-thick planchet (it is a piedfort) with an antiqued finish. Between the extremely popular Chinese motifs, beautiful design and limited mintage, heed our advice—stock up on these stunning, 2 troy ounce, pure silver coins while you can!
Because of the desirability of the dragon and tiger theme, the
medallic
, rimless ultra high relief format, the beefy two full troy ounces of pure silver, the antique finish, the hefty 5.86 mm thickness—to say nothing of the
tiny mintage of just 888
—a rapid sell-out at the Mint was expected and has occurred!
Exquisite Antique Finish!
In keeping with its ancient themes, each coin has been individually antiqued by hand to give it an unique finish conveying the surface abrasions of an aged artefact. As a result of this treatment, the appearance of each coin of the extremely limited mintage may vary. The Perth Mint will release no more than 888 of the Dragon and Tiger with Bagua 2 Troy Ounce Pure Silver Antiqued Coins. This number (888) is considered extremely lucky, as the Chinese word for "eight" sounds similar the Chinese character which means good fortune, wealth, or money.
Please see the presentation lower on this page for more information about Tuvalu and its association with Australia.
Truly Rare! Mintage Just 888! Will sell out!
Get yours today, don't miss out and don't delay!
Investment Note
This pure silver coin features the two most powerful and auspicious of all the animals in ancient Chinese mythology—the Dragon and the Tiger! With its highly detailed and well-executed design, high relief, significant precious metal content, desirable theme, and extremely limited mintage (only 888), we expect this gem to sell out quickly, as have the previous releases in this series.
Don't delay, get this beauty today!
What is a Piedfort?
Popular with collectors for more than a century, and always hard to find, piedforts are highly sought after. We get asked all the time, "What is a piedfort?" There are two different, but related, stories of the origin of the word "piedfort". The first says that it literally means "strong foot" in French (from
pied
, foot and
fort
, strong). The second says this word was appropriated by the mint centuries ago to mean "heavy measure" or "heavy weight". In both cases, the sense of serious heft to the coin is obvious.
Often the word "piedfort" is translated as "double-thick", but this is neither a literal translation nor a precisely accurate definition. Numismatically speaking, any coin that is 50% or more thicker than a standard version qualifies as a piedfort, although some piedforts are, indeed, twice as thick as normal.
Finally, the age-old question, "How is the word pronounced?" Coming from French, it is not pronounced as it is spelled; that is, don't say, "pide - fort". Rather, "pee - ay - four" (three syllables) is a good approximation.
Obverse
Please see above for description. There are no legends on the obverse, to further enhance the beauty and heighten the drama of the Dragon and Tiger vignette!
Reverse
The reverse features Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl earrings, was executed by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. The legend QUEEN ELIZABETH II, the date and the denomination also appear. The legend 2 OZ 9999 SILVER guarantees the weight and purity.
Packaging
The coin is housed inside a handsome taupe leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin, and protected by a full-color outer box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.
Specifications
Country
Tuvalu
Mint
Perth Mint of Australia
Year of Issue
2021
Face Value
Two Dollars
Weight
62.213 g
Diameter
40.60 mm
Gauge (Thickness)
5.86 mm
Mintage Limit
888
Finish
Antiqued with Ultra High Relief
Composition
.9999 Fine (Pure) Silver
Edge
Plain
Artist
Ing Ing Jong (obverse)
Ian Rank-Broadley (reverse)
Certificate
Individually Numbered
The Island Nation of Tuvalu
Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbors are Kiribati, Samoa and Fiji. It is comprised of four reef islands and five true atolls. Its population of 11,992 makes it the third-least populated independent country in the world, with only Vatican City and Nauru having fewer inhabitants. It is also the second-smallest member by population of the United Nations. In terms of physical land size, at just 10 square miles Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger only than the Vatican City, Monaco and Nauru.
The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesian people, who arrived about 3000 years go. The islands came under Great Britain's sphere of influence in the late 19th century. The Ellice Islands were administered by Britain as part of a protectorate from 1892 to 1916 and as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916 to 1974. In 1974 the Ellice Islanders voted for separate British dependency status as Tuvalu, separating from the Gilbert Islands which became Kiribati upon independence. Tuvalu became fully independent within The Commonwealth in 1978. with Queen Elizabeth II as titular head of state.
Because Tuvalu has few natural resources it has been dependent in recent years upon aid from larger, more developed nations, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The Perth Mint of Australia is officially commissioned by the government of Tuvalu to produce legal tender coinage for the island nation.
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