This rare, hologram SML with a dragon brings blessings of wisdom with its exquisite red Swarovski Crystal!

Certain to sell out quickly, this unique Silver Maple Leaf features a one-off design of great significance - a dragon clutches a pearl of wisdom (in the form of a hologram maple leaf) in its claws, while encircling a red Swarovski Crystal that symbolizes joy and good fortune. What's not to love - a proof Silver Maple Leaf depicting a dragon, with a lucky $8 denomination, a hologram, and a red Swarovski Crystal gemstone - all on one coin!?!? All we can say is, get this one fast - it won't last long!

The Dragon
The Oriental or Chinese concept of the dragon is much different than the European notion of this beast. Whereas in the West dragons are nearly always evil, fire breathing creatures of immense size and destructiveness, in the East they are beloved. Chinese dragons are benevolent, representing most auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, and floods. In yin and yang terminology, a dragon is yang (male) and perfectly complements a yin (female) fenghuang, the mythical "Chinese phoenix".

The dragon is a mystical being, able to use an almost unlimited range of magical or supernatural powers. It is able to disguise itself as a silkworm, or become as large as our entire universe. It can fly among the clouds or hide in water. It can form clouds, turn into water or fire, become invisible or glow in the dark. It is interesting to note that the Oriental dragon's ability to fly is a magical (not a physical) ability; unlike European dragons, Chinese dragons are rarely if ever depicted with physical wings.

Historically, the dragon was the symbol of the Emperor of China. Many pictures of oriental dragons show a flaming pearl under their chin. The pearl is associated with wealth, good luck, and prosperity. In Chinese culture, the pearl also symbolizes perfection, which is only obtained through the highest forms of wisdom. As such, the pearl is retained in the clutches of the dragon, who, like the emperor, reveals great "pearls of wisdom" as it bestows abundance and prosperity upon its people.

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Investment Notes
Why do we like this coin so much? Let us count the ways:
    1)  A genuine,  red Swarovski Crystal, combined with
    2)  Hologram (first coin ever with these two technologies together!)
    3)  Unusual, lucky $8 denomination
    4)  Very low mintage limit
    5)  Dragon motif - the most auspicious of all the animals
    (with the possible exception of the Tiger).
All this, and, oh yes, it's a Silver Maple Leaf - so all SML collectors need it!

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Technology Notes
The Royal Canadian Mint leads the world with its proprietary hologram technology, in which the hologram is actually minted on the coin. The coin comes alive and the colors of the maple leaf shimmer and shift as you tilt the coin. No static, two dimensional images can do these holograms justice - they truly have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated!

The Mint also specializes in its use of Swarovski Crystals, as witnessed by the overwhelming success of the Crystal Raindrop and Crystal Snowflake coins! This is the very first Royal Canadian Mint coin to combine the hologram with the Swarovski Crystal.

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Obverse
An Oriental dragon clutches a maple leaf hologram (representing a pearl) in its claws, while curled around the red Swarovski Crystal in the center. The date and denomination also appear.

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Reverse
A frosted cameo portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") also appears.

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Packaging
Each Silver Maple Leaf is encapsulated inside a burgundy leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and protected by a black outer box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

Swarovski Crystal
Swarovski is the luxury brand name for the range of precision-cut crystal glass products produced by the privately-owned company Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, Austria (near Zürich, Switzerland). Swarovski crystal was born when a Bohemian, Daniel Swarovski, invented an automatic cutting machine in 1892. In 1895 the Swarovski company was founded when he established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens (near Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria). Here he could take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes he had patented.

Swarovski crystal contains approximately 32% lead to maximize refraction. The Swarovski Crystal firm produces a wide range range of products, but is world-renowned for the incredible quality and brilliance of its crystal jewelry.

In order to create a crystal that allows light to refract in a rainbow spectrum, Swarovski coats some of its crystals with special metallic chemical coatings. For example, Aurora Borealis, or "AB", is one of the most popular coatings, and gives the surface a rainbow oil slick appearance. Recent developments include the 2004 release of a new, patented cut, Xilion, designed to optimize the brilliance of roses (crystal components with flat backs) and chatons (diamond-cut crystals).

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