Coins Honoring the Chinese Lunar Symbols Are Popular
Many major mints have issued coin series honoring the Chinese Lunar calendar.
These naturally produce a twelve coin series that makes collecting the entire set relatively easy.
One can anticipate when a series might, end and make arrangements to obtain one of each coin from it.
Starting in 2008, the coins issued in order should be mouse or rat, ox, tiger, rabbit or hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat or ram, monkey, rooster or cock, dog, and pig or hog.
Not every mint uses the same word for the symbols, and some mints even refer to the series as the Chinese zodiac series.
Perhaps the most widely known and most popular are the Perth Mint's multiple series.
The Perth Mint started issuing Chinese lunar coins in 1997 with the gold mouse coin in multiple denominations.
In 1999 the silver and gilded coins were added with the year of the rabbit.
Now, the Perth Mint is issuing series II coins.
The silver and gold coins of the Perth Mint are issued as bullion coins, and come in multiple denominations.
The images on the silver and gold coins differ, making them distinct series from each other, a real plus for the serious collector.
This is a normal practice of the Perth Mint, which shows the dedication of the mint to retaining its stellar reputation.
The sizes of the silver coins are one-half Troy ounce, one Troy ounce, two Troy ounces, five Troy ounces, ten Troy ounces, and one kilogram.
Perth lunar collector coins are the proof, the proof-like colorized, and the gilded silver coins, all of which are available in the one Troy ounce size.
The most desirable version is the one kilogram limited edition that features a diamond in the eye of the image.
Occasionally other versions were released, such as the five Troy ounce gilded rooster.
Colorized coins are limited to recent years, and are also available as bullion coins.
Collector coins are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, and often housed in a case, although the case is optional for the gilded coins.
The Perth Mint issued three years at once to finish the silver series, which started two years later than the gold series.
So, the 2010 silver tiger coins of series I have been available for quite some time.
The series II coins have different dimensions than the series I coins.
The one Troy ounce coins are thinner, but have a larger obverse and reverse.
This allows more detail with the images, and makes distinguishing series easier.
The series II coins started with the year of the mouse in 2008.
It is still early enough to start collecting series II and obtain most of the coins from the mint as they are issued.
The Royal Australian Mint produces coins of the Chinese Lunar calendar in both gold and silver.
The gold coins appear in sets with the silver coin.
These coins and sets were designed for the mint's corporate customers, but are now being made available, on a very limited bases, to the collecting community.
In the past the Royal Australian Mint has issued to collectors smaller silver lunar coins.
The Royal Canadian Mint issues lunar coins based on the Chinese Lunar calendar that consists of silver coins with a gold center.
These are not the gilded coins, since the entire center is gold.
They make a very nice appearance, and are very desirable.
The New Zealand Mint offers three series of silver coins based on the Chinese Lunar calendar, the gilded and colorized editions in proof-like condition for Pitcain Island and the gilded proof edition for the country of Niue.
The images on the Pitcain Island coins have different images than those on the Niue coins.
In 2006 the New Zealand Mint issued eight one ounce silver coins for the Kingdom of Cambodia honoring the Year of the Dog.
Each has the colorized image of a different breed of dog.
Black Spaniel Gallery provides links to the major mints mentioned in this article.
These links can be found at http://blackspanielgallery.
8m.
com by selecting the button to the link page.
This service to the coin collecting community is happily provided.
When looking for short series of coins that can be easily collected, consider lunar coins.
Animals make beautiful coin images.
These naturally produce a twelve coin series that makes collecting the entire set relatively easy.
One can anticipate when a series might, end and make arrangements to obtain one of each coin from it.
Starting in 2008, the coins issued in order should be mouse or rat, ox, tiger, rabbit or hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat or ram, monkey, rooster or cock, dog, and pig or hog.
Not every mint uses the same word for the symbols, and some mints even refer to the series as the Chinese zodiac series.
Perhaps the most widely known and most popular are the Perth Mint's multiple series.
The Perth Mint started issuing Chinese lunar coins in 1997 with the gold mouse coin in multiple denominations.
In 1999 the silver and gilded coins were added with the year of the rabbit.
Now, the Perth Mint is issuing series II coins.
The silver and gold coins of the Perth Mint are issued as bullion coins, and come in multiple denominations.
The images on the silver and gold coins differ, making them distinct series from each other, a real plus for the serious collector.
This is a normal practice of the Perth Mint, which shows the dedication of the mint to retaining its stellar reputation.
The sizes of the silver coins are one-half Troy ounce, one Troy ounce, two Troy ounces, five Troy ounces, ten Troy ounces, and one kilogram.
Perth lunar collector coins are the proof, the proof-like colorized, and the gilded silver coins, all of which are available in the one Troy ounce size.
The most desirable version is the one kilogram limited edition that features a diamond in the eye of the image.
Occasionally other versions were released, such as the five Troy ounce gilded rooster.
Colorized coins are limited to recent years, and are also available as bullion coins.
Collector coins are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, and often housed in a case, although the case is optional for the gilded coins.
The Perth Mint issued three years at once to finish the silver series, which started two years later than the gold series.
So, the 2010 silver tiger coins of series I have been available for quite some time.
The series II coins have different dimensions than the series I coins.
The one Troy ounce coins are thinner, but have a larger obverse and reverse.
This allows more detail with the images, and makes distinguishing series easier.
The series II coins started with the year of the mouse in 2008.
It is still early enough to start collecting series II and obtain most of the coins from the mint as they are issued.
The Royal Australian Mint produces coins of the Chinese Lunar calendar in both gold and silver.
The gold coins appear in sets with the silver coin.
These coins and sets were designed for the mint's corporate customers, but are now being made available, on a very limited bases, to the collecting community.
In the past the Royal Australian Mint has issued to collectors smaller silver lunar coins.
The Royal Canadian Mint issues lunar coins based on the Chinese Lunar calendar that consists of silver coins with a gold center.
These are not the gilded coins, since the entire center is gold.
They make a very nice appearance, and are very desirable.
The New Zealand Mint offers three series of silver coins based on the Chinese Lunar calendar, the gilded and colorized editions in proof-like condition for Pitcain Island and the gilded proof edition for the country of Niue.
The images on the Pitcain Island coins have different images than those on the Niue coins.
In 2006 the New Zealand Mint issued eight one ounce silver coins for the Kingdom of Cambodia honoring the Year of the Dog.
Each has the colorized image of a different breed of dog.
Black Spaniel Gallery provides links to the major mints mentioned in this article.
These links can be found at http://blackspanielgallery.
8m.
com by selecting the button to the link page.
This service to the coin collecting community is happily provided.
When looking for short series of coins that can be easily collected, consider lunar coins.
Animals make beautiful coin images.
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