Tuvalu 2016 Ancient Chinese Mythical Creatures Dragon Tiger $1 1 Oz Silver Proof

Description

In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!
Sold Out at the Perth Mint
LONG SOLD
OUT AT THE MINT!  This dramatic, special edition,
one
troy ounce pure silver dollar depicts the four Ancient Chinese Mythical
Creatures of legend – the white tiger, red phoenix, blue dragon and
black tortoise – in ultra high, medallic relief on this proof piedfort
(double thick coin)
!
Talisman
Coins and the Perth Mint are excited to announce
a surprise, One Troy Ounce Pure
Silver Dollar
special edition new release! The four
mythical creatures of ancient Chinese legend are depicted – the white
tiger (earth), red phoenix (fire), blue dragon (air) and black tortoise
or turtle
(water). The Yin and Yang symbol in the middle center the images and
make the design that much more beguiling! This extremely low mintage
one troy ounce pure silver dollar (
mintage
only 5,000
)
will
undoubtedly sell out, and quickly! This pure silver dollar gem
is struck in ultra high, medallic relief on a concave, extra-thick
planchet (it is a piedfort) with a proof finish. Between the extremely
popular Chinese motifs (including both dragon
and tiger), beautiful design and limited mintage, heed our
advice – get one (or more) of these stunning, one troy ounce, pure
silver proofs while you can!
According the ancient
Chinese mythology, the universe is divided into four quadrants, each
representing a season: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The seasons
are divided from each other by the winter and summer solstices, and the
autumn and spring equinoxes. These heavenly quadrants are known as the
“Four Celestial Palaces”, with each palace protected and represented by
a guardian animal with a corresponding color, element, and virtue. Yin
and Yang represent male and female, as well as completion, perfection
and balance!
The White Tiger
The tiger is the king of all animals and the lord of the mountains. The
tiger’s color is white, its direction is west, and its element is land,
as represented by the mountains in which the tiger prowls.
The tiger is also believed to be the bringer
of wealth and a symbol of a good marriage. The tiger protects
the Celestial Palace of autumn, representing metal, and is
said to be a fierce protector, with the power to exorcise evil spirits
and grant a good harvest.
The Blue Dragon
The dragon is considered to be the symbol of ultimate power. Although
fearsome and frightening, the dragon is also benevolent, just,
and the bringer of wealth and good fortune.
The dragon’s color is blue, its direction is east, and its element is
air, represented by the clouds in which the dragon flies.
The Red Phoenix
The auspicious phoenix’s
appearance is a harbinger of times of good fortune. This mythical bird
is symbolic of resurrection and immortality, and is believed to bring
happiness and knowledge to people. The phoenix’s color is red, its
direction is south, and its element fire, as depicted by the flames in
which it is consume and then reborn.
The Black Tortoise
The tortoise symbolizes longevity, wisdom, knowledge, and fecundity of
reproduction. The ancient Chinese believed there were no male
tortoises, and so the females were forced to mate with snakes. As a
result, the tortoise is commonly portrayed in an embrace with a snake
(as on this coin). The tortoise’s color is black, its direction is
north, and its element water, as represented by the waves in which it
swims. The tortoise is considered to be the god of all the world’s
oceans, seas, lakes and rivers.
Please see the presentation lower on this page for more information
about Tuvalu and its association with Australia.
Investment Note
This pure silver dollar features the most powerful and auspicious of
all the animals in the Chinese Lunar Zodiac – the Dragon and
the Tiger (the Phoenix and the Turtle
aren’t exactly chopped liver, either!). With its detailed and
well-executed design, high relief, precious metal content, auspicious
theme and low mintage limit (only 5,000), we expected this gem to sell
out quickly—AND SO IT DID!
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
The obverse of this one ounce pure silver proof portrays the
four ancient Chinese mythical creatures in ultra high,
medallic relief, with the Yin and Yang symbol in the center. The legend
CHINESE ANCIENT MYTHICAL CREATURES defines the theme.
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 1 OZ 999 SILVER
guarantees
the weight and purity.
Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside a handsome black
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
Australia
Mint
Perth Mint of Australia
Year
of Issue
2016
Face
Value
One Dollar
Weight
31.135 g
Diameter
32.60
mm
Gauge
(Thickness)
6.00 mm
Mintage Limit
5,000
Finish
Proo
f
Composition
.999
Fine (Pure) Silver
Edge
Reeded
(milled, serrated)
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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