Chinese Lunar story

According to Chinese tradition, the emperor ordered a great race between all the animals on Earth to determine who should occupy 12 positions in the lunar calendar. Each animal represents a year in the 12-year cycle of the lunar calendar, influencing the attributes and fortunes of individuals born in that year.

Coloured design

The coin’s coloured reverse portrays a depiction of the twelve baby animals in the lunar calendar, including the mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each adorable animal appears against a farm-like scene background. The imagery surrounds a bagua, a motif incorporating eight Taoist trigrams representing the yin and yang, said to be present in all things. It also includes a taijitu, representing the unity and interdependence of opposing forces.