632) The Red Dragon of Wales: The Third Coin in the "Queen's Beasts Coin Series", UK: Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Series started by the Royal Mint, UK in March 2016: Red Dragon coins issued on 04.12.2017:
The Queen's Beast Coin Series, UK issues:
The Queen's Beast Coin Series, UK issues:
The "Queen's Beasts Coin Series": The red Dragon of Wales:
The Royal Mint, UK began on 29.03.2016, a new Coin Series titled "The Queen's Beasts" featuring both mythical and real beasts that have featured on British heraldry over the last five centuries. Each beast has its own special story to tell and this Series explores the Queen's heraldic guardians and how they represent the Crown and its history.
Spanning back to the reign of King Henry VIII, "The King's Beasts" are a group of creatures that symbolise the various strands of royal ancestry brought together as a heraldic badge.
This coin series will include all ten of these creatures, which recall hundreds of years of British royal heraldry and will showcase one "beast" at a time.
The Beasts - both real and mythical - incluing griffins, lions, dragons and falcons have stood guard throughout hundreds of years of British royal heraldry and can be seen all around the Queen's realm in some surprisingly ordinary places in the daily lives of Britons, from pub signs to passports and city badges to sports.
The Queen's Beasts - present day:
At the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the ten heraldic beasts stood guard. They were sculpted by James Woodford RA for the coronation ceremony held in Westminster Abbey in 1953 and each stands six feet tall.
Each proud beast used as a heraldic badge by generations that went before her, was inspiredby the King's Beasts of Henry VIII that still line the bridge over the moat at his Hampton Court Palace.
These mythical and ancient creatures include - the Lion of England, Unicorn of Scotland, Red dragon of Wales, Griffin of Edward III, Falcon of the Plantagenets, Black Bull of Clarence, Yale of Beauforts, White Geyhound of Richmond, White Lion of Mortimer and white Horse of Hanover.
Presently, the original Queen's Beasts can be found at the Canadian Museum of History in Quebec, while Portland stone replicas, also carved by James Woodford, watch over Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom.
The Reverse of the Red Dragon Brilliant Uncirculated Cupro-Nickel 5 Pounds coin, with the Royal Mint logo/emblem in the background
The Red Dragon of Wales is the third creature to appear on the Royal Mint's Commemorative "Queen's Beasts Coin Series", issued by the Mint on 04.12.2017 in its on-going series.
The Red Dragon of Wales:
The Red Dragon Emblem of Wales
The Red Dragon of Wales, captures the spirit and beauty of the Welsh nation.
Dragons are one of the best known mythical beasts found in legends all over the world and are associated with strength, wisdom and power. The dragon is one of the oldest of all mythical beasts, drawn on as often today as in the far distant past.
From Western Europe to Asia, it appears in different forms - Lizard-like and fire-breathing in the East, and in the West, upstanding and muscular, its tongue like an arrow, standing for strength, speed and power beyond human ability - intended to strike terror into its enemies.
The Red Dragon has especially become the emblem of ancient Welsh pride, emerging from the heroic traditions of King Arthur and his father Uther Pendragon (Pen meaning "Head"- of the Dragon). In the Mabinogion story "Lludd and Llefelys", the Red Dragon (symbolising the Welsh) fights against an invading White Dragon (symbolising the Saxons).
In the tales of King Vortigen as narrated in the "Historia Brittonum", the red and white dragons who had remain at Dinas Emrys in Snowdonia after "drinking mead" and falling asleep, but when they are woken up from their deep slumber, they continue their fighting till the White Dragon is defeated. The Red Dragon Standard of Arthur was carried by his troops in every one of the 12 battles, ending with his last battle at Camlaan to safeguard his kingdom against his enemies.
In the tales of King Vortigen as narrated in the "Historia Brittonum", the red and white dragons who had remain at Dinas Emrys in Snowdonia after "drinking mead" and falling asleep, but when they are woken up from their deep slumber, they continue their fighting till the White Dragon is defeated. The Red Dragon Standard of Arthur was carried by his troops in every one of the 12 battles, ending with his last battle at Camlaan to safeguard his kingdom against his enemies.
It later went on to become a royal beast of the Tudor monarchs, supporting the coat of arms of that proud Welsh dynasty.
The Red Dragon was an emblem of Owen Tudor, the grandfather of King Henry VII, who was England's first King of the Tudor Dynasty, reigning from 1489 to 1509.
Henry's troops carried a fiery red dragon Standard at the Battle of Bosworth. More than four centuries later, at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, the Red Dragon took its place as one of the Queen's Beasts, reinforcing her connection to Wales.
Present Day: The Red Dragon has become the emblem of the modern Welsh nation, resplendent on the welsh Flag against a background of white and green, the livery colours of the Tudor sovereigns.
In this form also, it is the Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Badge for Wales, encircled with a riband bearing the motto: "Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN" (meaning "The Red Dragon Gives the Lead"). As such, the Red Dragon today retains its significance as a Royal Beast no less than in the centuries past.
The Gold Coins issued under the Series:
The Obverse design of the 100 Pounds Gold Coin bears the fifth portrait of the Queen, which was also designed by Jody Clark (his initials "JC" appear below the Queen's neck) and introduced on British coinage in March 2015. It bears the inscription on the periphery from left to right :"100 POUNDS.ELIZABETH II.DG.REG.FD" (meaning "Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith").
The Reverse Design of the 100 Pounds Gold Coin includes the Red Dragon of Wales. The depiction shows a dragon, its tongue tipped with an arrow point, standing upright and holding the coat of arms which includes four dragons.The text "RED DRAGON OF WALES" along with the weight "1 OZ", metal "FINE GOLD.9999" and year "2017" appear on the outer periphery.
Present Day: The Red Dragon has become the emblem of the modern Welsh nation, resplendent on the welsh Flag against a background of white and green, the livery colours of the Tudor sovereigns.
In this form also, it is the Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Badge for Wales, encircled with a riband bearing the motto: "Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN" (meaning "The Red Dragon Gives the Lead"). As such, the Red Dragon today retains its significance as a Royal Beast no less than in the centuries past.
The Gold Coins issued under the Series:
The Obverse design of the 25 Pounds Gold Coin bears the fifth portrait of the Queen, which was also designed by Jody Clark (his initials "JC" appear below the Queen's neck) and introduced on British coinage in March 2015.It bears the inscription on the periphery from left to right: "25 POUNDS.ELIZABETH II. DG. REG. FD" (meaning "Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen, Defernder of the Faith").
The Reverse design of the 25 Pounds Gold Coin includes the Red Dragon of Wales. The text "RED DRAGON OF WALES" along with the weight 1/4 OZ" "FINE GOLD.9999" and year of issue "2017" appear on the outer periphery.
The Gold coins have been issued in the following four denominations:
Denomination: 1,000 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 1,005 grams; Diameter/Size: 100 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Maximum mintage: 13 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 500 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 156.29 grams; Diameter/Size: 50.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage: 90 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 100 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 31.2 grams; Diameter/Size: 32.69 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage: 500 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 25 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 7.8 grams; Diameter/Size: 22.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage: 1,500 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
The Gold coins have been issued in the following four denominations:
Denomination: 1,000 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 1,005 grams; Diameter/Size: 100 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Maximum mintage: 13 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 500 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 156.29 grams; Diameter/Size: 50.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage: 90 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 100 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 31.2 grams; Diameter/Size: 32.69 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage: 500 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 25 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Gold (Au); Weight: 7.8 grams; Diameter/Size: 22.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage: 1,500 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
A representation of the Kilo coin placed in an elegant coin box. The coin comes with a Certificate of authenticity (COA). All the Gold and Silver coins come in boxes like this one.
The Silver Coins issued under the Series:
The Reverse design of the 5 Pounds Fine Silver Coin includes the Red Dragon of Wales. The text "RED DRAGON OF WALES" along with the year of issue "2017", weight "2 Oz", Metal "FINE SILVER.9999" appears on the outer periphery.
The Silver Coins come in four different denominations:
Denomination: 500 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Silver (Ag); Weight: 1,005.0 grams; Diameter/Size: 100.0 mm; Obverse and Reverse designer: Jody Clark; Coin Quality: Proof; Year of issue: 2017; Mintage: 200 pieces; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 10 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Silver (Ag); Weight: 313.0 grams; Diameter/Size: 65.0 mm; Obverse and Reverse designer: Jody Clark; Coin Quality: Proof; Year of issue: 2017; Mintage: 700 pieces; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 10 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Silver (Ag); Weight: 156.29 grams; Diameter/Size: 65.0 mm; Obverse and Reverse designer: Jody Clark; Coin Quality: Proof; Year of issue: 2017; Mintage: 750 pieces; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
Denomination: 2 Pounds; Metal Composition: .9999 Silver (Ag); Weight: 31.2 grams; Diameter/Size: 38.6 mm; Obverse and Reverse Designer: Jody Clark; Coin Quality: Proof; Year of issue: 2017; Mintage: Unlimited; Mint: Royal Mint, UK.
A Base Metal Coin (Cupro-Nickel) in the denomination of 5 Pounds has also issued by the Royal Mint, UK:
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: 5 Pounds; Metal Composition: Cupro-Nickel; Weight; 28.28 grams; Diameter/Size: 38.61 mm; Obverse and Reverse designer: Jody Clark; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated; Year of issue: 2017; Mintage: Unlimited; Mint: Royal Mint, UK. The coin comes in an elegant jacket:
Krishna Jee Verma has commented:
ReplyDelete"Dragon is common in western mythology. However Indian mythology has Narsimhawatar only as the closest to Dragon. And then one can talk of Mahishasur. Most of the Indian Gods and demons are described as ordinary human beings with some deformity or supernatural power. Has any one written about this ?"
It is strange that Indian mythology and history has been mostly "studied" through the "prism" of Western/European eyes/ideas. Even Arthur whose standard (presently the "Red Dragon of Wales") is himself not positively identified by the English and his existence is consigned to the "so-called Dark Ages". Out of compulsion, they had to acknowledge his "Red Dragon" standard . It was sad to see that when the Postal Department brought out stamps on the "Ramayan" and the Mahabharat", they chose to give quotes in Information Brochure of Western commentators, instead of Indian historians/Pundits, thereby betraying a colonial mind-set. Nevertheless, today much of the "Western written word" is undergoing a sea-change particularly in relation to India in the bygone days, with a focus on re-discovering our past as it was.
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