For sale:  One fantasy silver coin featuring the Vlad Dragulea, aka Count Dracula or Vlad the Impaler.

Much has been written about the adventures of the unhappy man we know today as count Dracula. Suffice to say that those were unpleasant times! Vlad III, Vlad Tzepesh (the Impaler), Vlad III Dracula (aka: Dragulea), Prince of Wallachia, son of the house Drăculești, a branch of the House of Basarab, born of a line of Wallachian voivodes, or warlords of Wallachia,which later became Romania and Transylvania, but nowadays is known as Romania.

But, some people just call him Dracula… as in Bram Stoker’s famous tale of Dracula, the vampire was inspired by the true-life deeds of the prince of Wallachia.

At the beginning of his rise to power, he was well known for being a great general in the fight to keep the Ottoman Turk army out of Wallachia. He became a folk hero in the war, with people flocking from all around to join his fight against the Turks. Then, when he was imprisoned, something happened to him. His father was betrayed and killed, and when he was released, his deeds turned evil. Without going into too many horrible details, let’s just say they were bad. If you want the gruesome tidbits, you’ll have to Google it.

Dracula: it means son of the Dragon. Vlad’s father was a part of the Order of the Dragon, an organization that was formed to protect Christianity. Vlad’s father was so ingrained into this organization, he renamed himself: Dracul (Dragon), and so Vlad’s nickname was Dracula, a diminutive which meant “Son of the Dragon.”

This coin is from the (fictionalized) days of his triumph (although temporary one) over the Ottoman Turks. It’s a fantasy coinage that measures 23mm, with a weight of 1/10 troy ounce of pure silver, which is equal to the weight of three silver Wallachian ducats, thus a Vlad Dracula Three Ducat Silver Coin, bearing the "Wyvern" (two legged dragon) symbol of his house.

The steel dies were hand-engraved by Joe Paonessa. These coins were hand-centered and struck one at a time, resulting in a gorgeous strike in pure silver... an astonishing piece in its own right.

Shipping is $2 in US by first class parcel with delivery confirmation. Regular first-class parcel international shipping is $7. I will gladly combine shipping for multiple purchases, so no extra charges unless special services are required. (To combine shipping, please use the "add to cart" function so that the shipping will combine automatically) Express mail shipping is recommended internationally because it includes insurance and tracking. Please check my other items! Have fun!  Tom