Revered in Chinese culture, the Dragon has also become a hugely popular symbol in numismatics over the last decade. With the Perth Mint seemingly settling on round animal-themed bullion coins of varying mintages in its portfolio, it’s great to see something a bit different for aa chnage.

Available in 1oz silver and 1oz gold, the Rectangular Dragon is a stylish piece of work that is clean and unencumbered by superfluous inscriptions. The obverse uses the new internationalised variant of Jody Clark’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, distinguishable by the inclusion of shoulders. The starburst pattern in the background is unusual, but not unwelcome. There are no fundamental design differences between the gold and silver.

Up for pre-order now, the silver has a mintage of 250,000 and the gold 20,000. The former can be purchased in tubes of 20 or monster boxes of 200, while the latter is individually encapsulated. A neat addition to the market.

REVERSE: The coin’s reverse depicts a stylised Chinese dragon chasing a flaming pearl, with clouds in the background. The design also includes The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

OBVERSE: The Jody Clark effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, 2019 year-date and the weight and fineness are depicted on the coin’s obverse.