The Queen’s Beasts: The Red Dragon of Wales 2 oz Silver 2017

The Royal Mint, as one of the key players in the international bullion market, has long provided its customers with the security and quality you would expect from a leading mint with a global reputation. Now, they have a new product on offer - a two-ounce silver coin - for all those looking for new investment opportunities. The 'Queen's Beasts' series celebrates the age-old history of the British crown and the rich heraldry that is associated with it. During the coronation of the British Queen, ten heraldic beasts stood guard. The plaster figures created for the occasion were intended to symbolise the diverse lines of royal heritage. The Royal Mint's highly respected coin designer Jody Clark, whose portrait of the Queen has featured on official UK coins since 2016, has created new images of the Queen's beasts, starting with a lion. Drawing inspiration from the original statues, Jody's design fully captures the menacing and fearless nature of this royal protector.

In most European languages, the word ''dragon'' comes from the Greek word drakan (bystrooki), e.g. English dragon, Bulgarian drakon, German. Drache, cz. drak. Dragons appear in many mythologies, including Greek mythology. Usually, like griffins, they act as guardians and are also attributed with numerous qualities such as wisdom and strength. A never-sleeping dragon stood guard over the golden fleece by order of the god Ares, another guarded the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, and another guarded a spring near the later city of Thebes. The last one was killed by Cadmus and his teeth were sown in the ground, from which brave warriors arose. Many mythical gods and heroes fought against dragons, including Apollo (the dragon Python), Jason (the dragon guarding the golden fleece), Heracles (Ladon), and Perseus (the dragon Cetus). In Sumerian mythology, the goddess Tiamat, from whom the earth and sky were created, was depicted in the form of a dragon. In Anglo-Saxon myth, the dragon Grendel and his mother, defeated by Beowulf, are also known. The Arthurian legends also feature dragons, including the white and red dragon in Merlin's vision. Scandinavian mythology sometimes refers to the snakes Midgardsormr and Nidhogg as dragons. In Germanic myths, the dragon Fafnir appears, defeated by Siegfried. In Christianity, the dragon usually personifies evil; in the Bible, the serpent from Eden is often referred to by this name, as is Leviathan, and it also appears in the Apocalypse of St John. Many saints are depicted with the dragon as an attribute, such as St Margaret of Antioch or St George who defeated the dragon near the city of Sylene. In the Slavs, the god Khvorz was sometimes depicted as a dragon

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Obverse: The obverse features an image of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Jody Clark. We can also find here the denomination information (£25).The reverse: features a stylised image of the Dragon , as well as information on the weight (1/4oz), the proof (0.9999) and the year of issue (2017).