The "Chinese Dragon" ten-dollar series from the Royal Australian Mint targeted the substantial Australian-Chinese collector market during a period when the RAM was aggressively expanding its bullion and commemorative output for Asian buyers. The 2012 issue corresponds to the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar — the most auspicious of the twelve-year cycle, and historically the one that drives the highest premiums on lunar-themed issues across all mints globally.
Mintage on these large-format silver pieces was tightly controlled, and the 156-gram planchet required dedicated pressing equipment not used for standard production runs.
The "Chinese Dragon" ten-dollar series from the Royal Australian Mint targeted the substantial Australian-Chinese collector market during a period when the RAM was aggressively expanding its bullion and commemorative output for Asian buyers. The 2012 issue corresponds to the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar — the most auspicious of the twelve-year cycle, and historically the one that drives the highest premiums on lunar-themed issues across all mints globally.
Mintage on these large-format silver pieces was tightly controlled, and the 156-gram planchet required dedicated pressing equipment not used for standard production runs.