2024 Chad 10,000Fr 9 Sons of the Dragon 2oz Silver Coin

One of the more famous folk tales in China is that of the Nine Sons of the Dragon King a story about a dragon king with nine dragon sons, each with his own unique set of skills. After observing his sons, the king gives each one a job befitting his talents—a lesson that parents everywhere can appreciate. On this excellent silver coin, the tale of the Dragon King and his Nine Sons comes alive!

Featuring the King himself on one side, in high relief and high detail, this coin is auspicious in its quality. Flip it over though, and the 9 Dragon Sons appear, in equally high relief and detail! A beautiful coin, and one that I was shown at the 2023 World's Fair of Money - and just could not resist!

The mintage of this stunning Chinese folkloric tribute is set at just 999 pieces, naturally.

Specifications

The Nine Dragon Sons.

The Nine Dragon Sons are the mythological offspring of the  Dragon King. There are many variations in the different descriptions of these sons, but all versions state that there are nine. The Wuzazu, a well-known Chinese work of the end of the sixteenth century, talks about the nine different sons of the Dragon King:

1. The qiú niú -  (Form of dragon) a creature that likes music, are used to adorn musical instruments.
2. The yá zì - (Hybrid of wolf and dragon) a creature that likes to fight, is aggressive and is normally found on cross-guards on sword as ornaments.
3. The cháo fēng - (Resemble a Phoenix and dragon) a creature that likes to adventure. They are typically placed on the four corners of roofs.
4. The pú láo - (Four leg small form dragon class) a creature that likes to scream, and are represented on the tops of bells, used as handles.
5. The suān ní - (Hybrid of lion and dragon) a creature that likes to sit down, are represented upon the bases of Buddhist idols (under the Buddhas' or Bodhisattvas' feet).
6. The bì xì - also known as bà xià (Hybrid of turtle and dragon) a creature with a large shell able to carry heavy objects, and are normally found on under grave-monuments.
7. The bì àn - (Hybrid of tiger and dragon) a creature that likes litigation, are placed over prison gates (in order to keep guard).
8. The bā xià - (Hybrid of reptilia animal and dragon) a creature that likes to drink water, and is typically used on bridge structures.
9. The chī wěn - (Hybrid of fish and dragon) a creature that likes swallowing, are placed on both ends of the ridgepoles of roofs (to swallow all evil influences).