One of the most well-known traditions for ringing in the Chinese New Year is the Lion Dance, an ancient form of masked dance that features a pair of highly-trained dancers manipulating a large and colorful lion costume to a vigorous drum beat. Occurring in regional versions across Asia and throughout the Chinese diaspora, the dance is aimed at securing prosperity in the coming year for friends and family. It’s now celebrated by the 2023 Proof Fiji Lucky Lion Dance 1 oz Silver Coin now available from BGASC.

Highlights:

• Arrives with a Certificate of Authenticity in colorful box packaging!
• Issued in 2023!
• Exclusive limited mintage of just 1,000 pieces!
• Struck in 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver with vibrant colorized touches and a proof-like finish.
• Legal tender of the Republic of Fiji with a face value of $1.
• The obverse side features the Fijian coat of arms.
• The reverse side features a Lion mask.

The 2023 Proof Fiji Lucky Lion Dance Silver Coin showcases colorized artwork and detailed engravings against the mirrored backgrounds of a true proof-quality coin. It comes in a colorful box package that includes a Certificate of Authenticity.

Obverse

The coin’s obverse side features the Republic of Fiji’s official coat of arms, verifying it as legal tender. It’s surrounded by a decorative rim of abstract symbols and Chinese characters, and is accompanied by the inscriptions “FIJI 2023,” “ONE DOLLAR,” and confirmations of the coin’s weight and purity.

Reverse

The reverse side of the coin features a straight-ahead picture of a Lion Dance costume’s head rendered in multiple vibrant colors that echo a real-life costume, with all of it set against a backdrop that reproduces elements of the decorative rim on the obverse side.

History

China’s long tradition of masked dances goes back deep into antiquity, and many different beasts have been featured in masked dancing: not just the Lion and Dragon Dances that are commonplace today, but also bears, phoenixes, fish, and mythical creatures like the Qilin and Pixiu. The Lion Dance is actually a comparatively recent tradition, with lions themselves being imported from either Persia or India via trade routes in Central Asia in the early centuries A.D. and soon thereafter becoming the inspiration for masked dances that early texts described as “foreign.” Today, the Lion Dance is an integral part of the New Year and embodies wishes for luck for the coming year.

Ordering

The team at BGASC is always happy to answer your questions about any of our offerings. Phone us at 888-992-4272, chat with us live online, or send us an e-mail.