Chinese Lunar Coins: Commemorating China's Rich History

China's history is intricate and far-reaching. The cultural legacy they have shared has served as a valuable source of philosophical and spiritual teachings. Among the significant themes that characterize the history of China, is the method of tracking time and dates based on Jupiter's orbit. Twelve animals were assigned to represent the time. The values of each animal had a great impact on the cultural beliefs of the Chinese people that in 1981, the People's bank of China initiated the production of dedicatory zodiac coins or Chinese lunar coins.

Each zodiac animal represents a coin in the collectible set of these silver lunar coins over a period of twelve years. A specific set is characterized by something common such as the shape, metal and weight. There are twenty-four sets of Chinese lunar coins identified to date. The coins are shaped differently. Aside from the regular coin shape, some of these coins are shaped like a fan or scallop. Such shapes made the coin distinctive and attractive to collectors.

Coin Series 1988-1999

The first ever platinum Chinese lunar coins were made in 1988. It was in this year also when Shanghai Mint started minting separate sets of lunar coins. Four designs were featured on this year alone.

The coins were minted at 1oz silver with 32mm diameter compared to the standard diameter of 40mm. These coins were considered as silver piedfort.

Coin Series: 1997-2008 and 2009-2020

These Chinese lunar coins were made of 1oz silver.

The Scallop Series

The First Scallop Series (1993-2004) were made of two batches: those made with two-thirds oz silver and another batch made of one-half gold. The second series if this design (2005-2016) have two batches also. The gold batch was minted with the same amount of gold while the silver batch contained 1 oz silver.

The Fan Series

The first Fan Series (2000-2011) had two groups also. The silver batch contained 1 oz silver while the gold coins are one-half oz gold.

Collecting these silver lunar coins is one of the most investment-friendly hobby one could have. Aside from having a chance to participate and enjoy the rich culture of the Chinese people, the collector is sure that his money will be safe. The value of these collectible coins increases as time passes by.