(丈八蛇矛)   Zhang Fei's Serpent Spear - 2 oz .999 Silver Coin - 5 Tala Samoa 2027
 
Following the sold-out success of Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Spectres continues its Three Kingdoms weapons collection with the weapon of his sworn brother: Zhang Fei's 丈八蛇矛, the Serpent Spear.
 
The Fiercest of the Three Brothers
Zhang Fei (張飛), courtesy name Yide, was the youngest of the three sworn brothers who changed the course of Chinese history. Where Liu Bei led with vision and Guan Yu commanded with honor, Zhang Fei brought ferocity—Romance of the Three Kingdoms describes him as having "a panther head and round eyes, a beard like a tiger's mane, a voice like thunder, and the strength to fight a hundred men." His battlefield roar alone was said to stop armies in their tracks.
 
His bond with Guan Yu was unbreakable. The two never strayed far from each other through decades of war, betrayal, and hardship. When Guan Yu was killed in 219 AD, Zhang Fei cried day and night, his clothes stained with blood. He was assassinated by his own officers in 221 AD, weeks before he could avenge his brother. Two sworn brothers, lost within two years of each other.
 
The Weapon That Bears His Name
丈八蛇矛—Zhàng Bā Shé Máo. The name is precise: zhàng bā is a unit of length measuring approximately 2.67 meters, shé máo means serpent spear. The blade is flat, curved, and double-edged—its wavy silhouette mimicking the body of a snake in motion, the tip narrowing like a serpent's tongue. Designed not just to pierce, but to tear. This is the weapon Zhang Fei leveled at Lü Bu at Hulao Pass, and planted into the bridge at Changban standing with a handful of men against Cao Cao's entire pursuing army.
 
Every Detail Earned
Seven serpents coil across the blade guard, framing the dominant snake head that bites onto the blade—the same motif as the dragon on Guan Yu's weapon, now rendered in Zhang Fei's serpentine form. A single serpent guards the butt spike at the base. The spear is faithfully rendered, informed by both historical records and the iconic imagery of Dynasty Warriors and Three Kingdoms culture.
What distinguishes this piece from its predecessor is the 红缨 (hóngyīng)—the red tassel, rendered in vivid color just below the blade. Most assume it is decoration. It is not. The tassel absorbs blood from the blade to keep the grip from becoming slippery, and at speed blurs the opponent's vision of the tip's exact position. Function disguised as ornament—the most Chinese design philosophy of all.
Issued by Samoa in 2027 with a face value of 5 Tala, this 2 oz .999 silver coin measures 180 x 25 mm in antiqued finish with selective gold gilding and coloring. Limited to 500 pieces, individually serial-numbered, encased in a protective capsule, and presented in our custom display case with numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
 
The dragon sold out. The serpent strikes next.