2 oz Silver Figure Eight Dragon 2018 (Mintage: 8,888 | Antique Finish)

Figure Eight Dragon 2018: the world's first coin in the shape of an eight

Some collector's items win you over with their design. This one stands out even before you take a closer look at the design itself – because the 2 oz Silver Figure Eight Dragon 2018 is not a round disc, but a genuine figure eight. Two openwork rings joined to form a numeral, struck by the Perth Mint in Australia from 2 oz silver with a fineness of 999.9. The mintage: only 8,888 pieces worldwide. Anyone who wants to buy this silver coin is choosing a piece that has changed the design language of modern minting art.

Why the eight? Chinese culture meets Australian minting technology

In Chinese culture, the number eight is considered an extremely auspicious number, because the Chinese word for "eight" sounds similar to the words for prosperity and money. There is a second appeal too: the 8 is perfectly symmetrical – turned on its side, it becomes the mathematical symbol for infinity. The Perth Mint translated exactly this interplay of luck symbolism and eternity into metal in 2018. It was the world's first coin in this innovative shape, and it launched a small, highly sought-after series: in 2019 the Figure Eight Koi Fish design followed with an even lower mintage of 3,888 pieces. The dragon thus marks the beginning – and inaugural issues traditionally enjoy special attention among collectors.

The design: two dragons holding coins in their claws

On the obverse, two dragons intertwine across the entire figure-eight shape. Their bodies follow the two rings, scale by scale, with clouds, blossoms, and coins in between, which the mythical creatures hold in their claws. In the Chinese worldview, the dragon is a divine being – a symbol of power, strength, wealth, and luck. At the bottom edge sits the traditional "P" mint mark of the Perth Mint.

The reverse shows the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II as designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, surrounded by the inscriptions ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA and 2 DOLLARS, along with 2 oz 9999 Ag and the year of issue 2018. The background is textured with countless small figure-eight loops – a detail that is only truly noticeable when holding the coin.

Antique finish: a surface like an ancient find

Each piece was individually antiqued. This treatment settles darkly into the recesses, highlights the raised areas, and gives the coin the appearance of a centuries-old artifact. Because the process is done by hand, each coin looks slightly different – no two pieces are completely identical. For collectors, this is exactly the appeal: no sterile high gloss, but character, depth, and plasticity.

Technical data and weight at a glance

• Precious metal: silver, fineness 999.9 (fine silver)
• Denomination: 2 oz – gross weight 62.2 grams
• Fine weight: 62.206954 grams
• Format: 40.50 x 70.00 mm, openwork figure-eight shape
• Face value: 2 Australian Dollars
• Year of issue: 2018
• Manufacturer: Perth Mint, Australia
• Condition: Antique Finish
• Mintage: 8,888 pieces
• Series: Mythical Creatures
• Investment type: coin, collector's item
• Taxation: margin scheme taxed according to §25a UStG

Scope of delivery: fully presented

• Original box from the mint
• Plexiglass coin holder that keeps both sides visible
• Numbered certificate of authenticity
• Illustrated outer box

A collector's item with substance

Anyone who collects silver coins knows the difference between a low mintage and genuine appeal. Here, both come together: a strictly limited mintage of 8,888 pieces and a shape that cannot be hidden in any display case. At the same time, this piece embodies everything that has defined silver for thousands of years. Silver was a coinage metal long before any paper currency; it served cultures around the globe as a means of payment and exchange and was always regarded as a sign of wealth and prestige.

Unlike fiat money, whose value depends solely on trust in governments, silver has intrinsic value. Industry needs the metal – in electronics, in solar technology, in medical technology. Supply is limited, while demand from new technologies is broadly diversified. Physical silver does not change its properties over decades, it is liquid worldwide, and it can be passed down from generation to generation. This makes it suitable as inflation hedge and as crisis protection as well as for long-term wealth protection across generations. And because silver is significantly more affordable compared to gold, entry remains manageable even for private collectors.

Gold is humanity's oldest currency and has outlived all others – silver has accompanied it for just as long as an everyday monetary metal.

A tax note that will please collectors: profits from the sale of physical silver are generally tax-free in Germany, provided at least one year lies between purchase and sale. Upon acquisition, this issue is subject to the margin scheme according to §25a UStG.

How does the Figure Eight compare to classic silver coins?

The Australia Figure Eight Dragon does not compete with pure investment classics like Maple Leaf or Vienna Philharmonic – nor does it aim to. Anyone wanting as much weight as possible as close as possible to material value should turn to those. The advantage of this silver coin lies elsewhere: special shape, antique finish, numbered certificate, four-digit mintage. Compared with the round 2 oz classics from the Perth Mint, such as those from the Koala or Kookaburra series, the figure-eight shape is a novelty in coin history. The only drawback, viewed soberly: the extraordinary shape requires suitable storage – though the included holder solves this elegantly.

Our tip for collectors: anyone who brings the Figure Eight designs together gets an ensemble with narrative value. And the dragon from 2018 is always the beginning.