U.S. Navy / Order of the Golden Dragon - USN Bronze Antique Challenge Coin

Product Type: Coin
Size: 1 3/4 inch (44mm) Round
Material: Bronze Antique
Proudly Minted in the U.S.A.

Traveling over rough seas with the Orient in sight, sailors throughout history have honored the achievement of crossing over the International Date Line as a rite of passage deserving of recognition.

Those who have crossed the International Date Line - official subjects of the Golden Dragon - welcome their inexperienced shipmates into the Domain of the Golden Dragon through a special initiation ritual. The colorful shipboard ceremony includes mysteries and royal pronouncements, along with other such dubious honors. After being so honored, each sailor who endures can proudly proclaim his hard-won status as an initiate into the Silent Occult Mysteries of the Far East. 

This coin, minted in the USA from solid bronze, using special deep-relief coining dies, and hand-finished with an antique patina for exceptional quality and detail, pays tribute to a highly celebrated maritime tradition and salutes all those who have ventured across the International Date Line. The obverse features a rendering of a ship crossing the International Date Line into the realm of the Golden Dragon, perched above the oncoming ship. The reverse confirms the recipient's status as a lifelong member of the Order of the Golden Dragon, with blank lines suitable for engraving.

Each coin comes packaged with a header card that honors the achievement of crossing the International Date Line.