Tradition meets technology on Dragon Boat Festival $25 coin from Canada

Tradition meets technology on the Royal Canadian Mint’s latest coin celebrating the Chinese culture.

The Proof 2017 Dragon Boat Festival .999 fine silver $25 coin is “a vibrant celebration of the ancient cultural traditions of Chinese-Canadians, and a creative ode to one of the most adrenaline-pumping competitive sports,” according to the RCM.

Gold coin resistance at U.S. Mint and a deceptive but detectable counterfeit Indian Head cent: Another column in the June 12 Coin World details the discovery of what seemed to be a rare 1917 French Indo-China 10-cent piece.

The selectively colorized reverse design by Canadian artist Simon Ng offers an artistic tribute to the Dragon Boat Festival through the fusion of ancient symbolism, traditional art elements and modern minting techniques. 

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The coin was struck multiple times to provide dimension and depth to allow the dragon’s carefully sculptured head to rise up from the coin’s flat surface and the turbulent waves.

The lower portion of the coin is dominated by foam-tipped waves — an auspicious pattern that also adds a sense of motion to the design. Curved lines are present throughout this water-themed design, including the dragon’s mane that evokes the sensation of wind and movement. 

The dragon’s features are resplendent in hues of red, gold, green and blue, culminating in the blue pearl held tight in its jaw as a symbol of wisdom, and the active yang aspect of qi — interpreted by followers as the life force that surrounds us. The reverse includes the engraved year.

The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

The RCM has issued the coin at an official price of $139.95 Canadian.

To order, visit the RCM website.