In Chinese culture, it is customary to portray the tiger alongside the dragon as an expression of yin and yang, the traditional belief that all things in the universe consist of two opposing yet complementary forces. According to ancient philosophy, the beast’s wildly different spirits created a fierce rivalry. In challenging the dragon’s dominance, however, the tiger ensured the restoration of balance and harmony in the world.
The coin’s reverse portrays the head of a tiger and the head of a dragon. The indomitable nature of each creature, expressed through their formidable eyes and menacing jaws, embodies the equilibrium of their relationship. The coin’s high relief reverse and obverse are minted on concave surfaces to ensure the optimum flow of metal is achieved by the strike of the die. Further, each coin has been individually ‘antiqued’ to give it a unique finish conveying the surface abrasions of an ancient artefact. As a result of this treatment the appearance of each coin may vary.
