Continuing on today with my holiday wish list I'm sticking with the year of the dragon motif. Why? Why not? There are so many countries producing commemorative coins for the Chinese calendar year of the dragon 2024 that the items to choose from almost seem endless. Especially if you consider the gold offerings as well as those in silver. My choice for the wish list day number 2 comes from the Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
A slightly different picture from the first showing off the proof surfaces
Coin images from APMEX.com
About the coin:
Country: Solomon Islands
Denomination: $25
Composition: 99.9% silver
Weight: 5 Troy ounces of silver
Strike type: Proof
Diameter: 65 mm
Mint: MDM Mint, Germany
Inlay: Dragon image sculpted on mother of pearl (Nacre)
Mintage: 688
Obverse: Elizabeth II
Reverse: Dragon sculpted on natural mother of pearl and colored gray
Priced: $480 US depending on which company you shop with
This year of the dragon coin is really interesting because they chose to use mother of pearl for the dragon image. From what I understand it is sculpted by ultrasound and then treated with gray colorization before being inlaid in each coin. I like particularly like the dragon itself, but do wonder if it would have looked nicer left uncolored. The coin is five Troy ounces of pure silver so it some nice heft to it. I was surprised that they are using Queen Elizabeth II instead of King Charles III, I'm not quite sure why it was done this way, but it's a beautiful coin. It's also priced much nicer than my previous selection...
It does make sense for a coin from the Solomon Islands to use mother of pearl as they are located in tropical waters with plenty of shells from which mother of pearl can be harvested. Mother of pearl is actually as substance called nacre which is produced by some mollusks on their inner shell, it is also what makes up pearls.
A few mollusk shells with nacre
It's beautiful iridescence is why it's used in jewelry, decorations, and even inlays in musical instruments. Maybe it would have too hard to see the dragon if it's weren't colored gray? Who knows, but it's cool!
I couldn't help but to share a picture from one of the islands, just look at that beautiful water! Makes me want to jump right in! I love tropical islands!
That will do it for me today, I've got an eye that's decided to become inflamed so I'm trying to limit my screen time today. Thanks for stopping by and taking time to look over my ramblings. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions feel free to share them below. Thanks again everyone, have a great Saturday!
And my disclaimer:
Gold and silver stacking can be a fun hobby but isn't for everyone. You can lose money. I'm not a financial advisor and this isn't financial advice, please always do your own research before spending your hard earned money.
References:
https://www.apmex.com/product/279401/2024-solomon-isl-5-oz-silver-mother-of-pearl-year-of-the-dragon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacre
Re-blog lottery
Now for the winner of the re-blog lottery! Today we had 31 people re-blog my post, thank you so much! The people who re-blogged were:
Voluntary daily reminder list for those who request to be on it:
If you want to be added to the list as well just feel free to ask!
Thank you everyone! I have been working to improve my engagement and all of you have really helped out! If you have any recommendations or suggestions please feel free to let me know. I'm always looking to improve my posts.
Good luck to everyone!
And the Wheel of Names results:
Congratulations 
You will receive 3 HSBI units!
I'll be extending today's draw until tomorrow (12/11/2023) due to other obligations I can't finish my post, but to make it up to you there will be two winners tomorrow
Now for today's re-blog lottery! You just need to re-blog my post you will be placed on the Wheel of Names for a spin to possibly win 3 HSBI units! Just one prize for the lucky winner. An upvote is not required but is always greatly appreciated. Bots aren't allowed to win the prize. Contest ends at 14:00 (2 PM) California Pacific time tomorrow. If I somehow missed your re-blog please let me know and I'll add you to the next draw.
What are HSBI units? They are units that you can purchase to sponsor someone and you in turn receive a unit as well. This way we both benefit! They give you occasional upvotes on your posts for a lifetime, and the more you accumulate the more often you receive upvotes and the bigger they can be. You can read some more here:
If you have more questions feel free to ask.
