I'm with you on this one, the eyes of a dragon should show strength. It seems the one on the gold coin looks scared and weak. I think I may just try and get 1oz instead of loading up on them. So far the tiger in the gold series looks the best, looks innocent but you don't know when it would strike =D. Slam
but you would not want to meet it first hand and up close ... http://dragonimages.net/picture/298.html
i dont think its a fire ball .... a reference to where its from maybe but not a fireball .... legends talk of the war between mars and jupiter with "fire" lashing out between the planets (modern theorists claim electromagnetic disturbance between the planetary fields) due a passing celestial object .... myths are strange things when they are lost in the mists of time and the other odd thing about dragons is what they are meant to jealously guard .... gold ... and lots of it ...
Interesting Facts About Chinese Dragons As far back as 3000 BC, Chinese dragons have stood for fertility, happiness, procreation, immorality and activity. These mythological creatures have the amazing ability to ward off all evil spirits and in ancient days, they were even thought of as a sacred animal. The Chinese have four divine creatures including the dragon, unicorn, tortoise and phoenix. Unlike the evilness that is represented by the Western dragon, Chinese dragons are very gracious creatures. They are thought of as the ruler of the seas, lakes and rivers and it is them that offers the rain to the earth and allows the nation's crops to grow. Chinese dragons originated on totems from various tribes and grew into a mythical animal. Long dragons are believed to have nine anatomical resemblances being the horns of a stag, head of a camel, eyes of a demon, neck of a snake, belly of a clam, scales of a carp, claws of an eagle soles of a tiger, ears of a cow and on top of his head he has a lump called a Chimu, which he cannot fly without. These dragons are believed to be physically precise with exactly 117 scales. 81 of the scales are positive or yang and 36 scales are negative or yin. The Buddhists were those that introduced the idea of malevolent influence that was present in some dragons. They believed that disasters such as tidal waves, floods and harsh storms were a direct result of people upsetting the dragons. Chinese dragons are often characterized by having bat-like wings that grow from the front limbs but other then that, the majority do not have any other wings. Their ability to fly is entirely mystical and not due to any physical attributes that they have or don't have. Under the chin of many dragons is a flaming pearl that is associated with good luck, wealth and prosperity. These dragons have acquired a vast array of supernatural powers over the years and are believed to be able to disguise themselves as something as small as a silkworm or as large as the entire universe. They can hide in water or fly in the clouds and turn into fire or water and at times be completely invisible or even glow in the dark. Types Of Chinese Dragons There are various types of Chinese dragons including the Winged dragon, Horned dragon, Celestial dragon (he protects and supports the mansions that belong to the gods), Hidden Treasures dragon (he guards over all wealth), Yellow dragon (he emerged from the water and gave Emperor Fu Shi elements of writing), Coiling dragon (resides solely in the water) and the Dragon King. The Dragon King technically is made up for four separate dragons that rule over individual seas of the North, East, South and West. The Wood dragon is one that is imaginative, inquisitive and creative. He is a doer and a thinker and creates brilliant concepts. His moves are guided by pure logic and he houses enough drive to make his dreams a reality. The wood dragon is more than willing to hide his domination and is careful to not offend others. He is much less self-centered as many other dragons but he is capable of being very fearless and outspoken if he feels challenged. The Earth dragon is a reflective, quieter dragon who appreciates the opinions of others even if they conflict with his own. He is very reasonable and never a dictator but does demand respect. He is a bit more diplomatic than some other dragons and understands how important communication is. He is ambitious yet his moves are always well thought out. The Fire dragon is much more competitive and extroverted than the others. He is push, critical and expects a lot from everyone. He has the tendency to be intolerant and short tempered due to his intense ambition. The Fire dragon is an empire builder but desperately needs to improve his communication skills. The Water dragon is much less opinionated and selfish than others and he can graciously accept defeat. He knows where and when to apply pressure resulting in the ability to make a superb negotiator. He is a bit over-optimistic at times and needs to find the ability to relinquish things that are unfeasible and allow himself to concentrate more on achievable endeavors. The Metal Dragon has an extremely strong will. He is combative, inflexible, unbending and does not care about the feelings of those around. He is ruthless and authoritative and will destroy important relationships to get what he wants and will not let anyone or anything stand in his way. He will go at things alone if others won't support him and he refuses failure resulting in a great amount of success. Chinese Dragons Represented In Culture Chinese people often refer to themselves as being descendents of dragons. Its benevolence represents goodness, greatness and blessings as well as power, excellence, heroism, boldness, nobility, divinity and perseverance. Chinese dragons overcome obstacles making them energetic, optimistic, intelligent, decisive and ambitious. In ancient China, people offered respect for dragons depicted in carvings, paintings and writings resulting in the dragons becoming very symbolic of their nation. They can ward off evil spirits and protect the innocent. Chinese dragons are divine mythical animals that are the ultimate symbol representing good fortune and long life. link: http://jlaszlo.hubpages.com/hub/Interesting-Facts-About-Chinese-Dragons
http://www.neara.org/ROS/dragon.htm http://www.briantimms.net/topics/Dragon/dragon.html http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/dragons.html from what i gather Eastern dragons tend to be regarded as benevolent whereas the European culture tends to perceive the dragon as a malevolent creature ... interesting perspectives
Perthmint is getting fat and lazy.They just wanna to get a quick buck without working! And who the hell in Perthmint who approved Gold Dragon design? The dude need to get a new job and kick in the butt for good measure! The damn dragon looks like haven't eaten a cow for a year, and dancing waltzing matilda!
Probably the same bloke who approved their Koalas Honestly the 2011 Koala was bad enough but the 2012 Koala is so awful this year I just can't imagine anyone wanting to buy them.
All i know is its taking me a "fucanglong" time to get my dragons i ordered "Patience Grasshopper" GM
Hi all, Took delivery yesterday of 10 x 1oz silver dragons and a 2oz silver dragon. From the pics I'd seen on the web I wasn't expecting them to be any where near as cute as the 2000 dragons, but I must admit now I have them in my hand I much prefer their design compared to the 2000's. The newer dragon is cleaner, clearer, larger and takes up almost the whole coin surface, no flying bats etc. With a mat finish background and shiny dragon I think they're great. The finish is superb, I'm no expert on coins but if someone told me it was a proof I'd believe them. I'm not planning on selling any, will probably give them away in the coming years as Christmas/birthday presents to the kids. I should be getting my 2012 1oz gold dragon tomorrow, I haven't bought any gold in over four years but I couldn't resist this one, given it's ultra low mintage and desirability. Hope you guys get hold of some.
During the Qing Dynasty, The five clawed dragon was the Emporers symbol and any one else caught using it would be put to death. This probably explains why the coin dragon only has 4 claws.
