Year of the Monkey (coloured)

The Year of the Monkey is the ninth sign in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar. It began on 8 February 2016, with the Spring Festival, and lasted until 27 January 2017. In Chinese tradition each year of the cycle belongs to one of twelve animals, and according to the legend the order was fixed by the Jade Emperor, who held a river-crossing race: the monkey came in ninth. The sign has long been associated with wit, agility, curiosity and tireless liveliness, and people born under it are considered inventive and sociable. In Chinese folk culture the monkey is an especially beloved character. The most famous example is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of the classic novel Journey to the West: a cunning, unruly and powerful hero who ends up as a companion of the monk Xuanzang. In addition, the Chinese word for monkey, hou, sounds like the word for the noble title hou (marquis), so a monkey on greeting cards, ornaments and gifts is read as a wish for promotion and success. Other auspicious images work the same way: a monkey with a peach means longevity, and a monkey on a branch means good luck. According to folk belief, the sixteenth day of the first lunar month is celebrated in some regions of southern China and in Hong Kong as the birthday of Sun Wukong, and offerings are made to him in temples at that time. That is why in the Year of the Monkey the image of the animal is found everywhere: on New Year cards, paper cuttings for windows, figurines and commemorative badges. For mints this is one of the most rewarding subjects, since the lively pose and expressive face allow the relief to be rendered in detail, and the colour emphasises the fur and the expression of the animal. Issuing commemorative coins with the animals of the lunar calendar is a long-standing Chinese tradition. Coins of the Chinese Zodiac series are issued under the authority of the People's Bank of China and distributed by China Gold Coin (CNGC). For collectors each new year of the cycle is a reason to add to a set of twelve designs, while those who buy silver as savings value such coins for the combination of pure metal and a recognisable design. The silver 10 yuan coin with a coloured monkey is one of the year's finishes: unlike the plain version, the reverse is painted and the animal stands out on the silver field in its natural colouring. The face value of 10 yuan on such coins is symbolic: they have no payment function, their value is set by the silver and by collector demand rather than by the exchange rate of the yuan. That is why on the secondary market, for example at Russian auctions, the coloured version sells for much more than the base-metal coin of the same face value: in China 10 yuan is both a bimetallic circulation coin and one ounce of silver, and they are very different things.

Obverse

The official side of the coin shows the national emblem of the People's Republic of China and the year 2016. The emblem is common to the commemorative coins of China and recognisable by its traditional composition, and the year shows which link of the cycle the coin belongs to.

Reverse

A coloured monkey on the silver field, the denomination 10 and an inscription in Chinese.