Just like the last time it came around in 2012, the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Lunar Calendar has brought with it a notable uptick in the number of dragon themed coins being released. The dragon has always been popular, and has gone hand-in-hand with the growth in the Asian numismatic market, so it’s perfectly understandable. The issue producers have, is in making something that stands out, and there’s a choice between gimmicks, or quality design.

As you’d expect from Art Mint, they’ve gone the quality route, with this quite beautiful design. Rather than take a European look at the subject, the mint has employed the talents of a traditional Chinese artist to produce something with the right flavour, right down to the whiskers and the flaming pearl. There’s a sharp definition to the high-relief on this coin, no doubt learned from their decade old Mandala Art series, that works extremely well, A superior design to the first coin in this Dragon Art series, which depicted a creature in the Qing Dynasty style.