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Chinese culture is rich in beliefs and traditions that have extended to the numbers people come into contact with throughout their daily lives. Each number, one through nine and their combinations, has significance or special meaning in Chinese culture. The strength of this belief is easily seen in the Olympics of 2008. As a host for this special occasion, the festivities began on August 8, 2008 and was not a coincidence. The number 8 is a very positive and lucky
The Lure of Platinum – Part 1: Since 1988 the People’s Bank of China has issued a light smattering of platinum coins. In the 18 years between 1988 and 2005, only 55 coins types have been released across just five major categories: the Lunar, Ancient Inventions and Discoveries, Panda, Unicorn, and Guan Yin coin series. Many beginners, and indeed seasoned collectors, shy away from acquiring platinum for the more traditional and familiar gold and silver options available on the collectible
Copper-based alloys were used primarily for official cash coinage for over two millennia in China, and coinage dating from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) is no exception. Cash coins were cast on a huge scale during the Song Dynasty due to rapid commercial growth, especially during the Northern Song (960-1127), and were the mainstay of the currency system, partly because cloth – which had been used as a form of currency in the past in Imperial China – was now considered
Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997) was a key player on the 20th Century Chinese political stage. He is considered the architect of China’s economic recovery following the crisis of the Great Leap Forward, instigated by Mao Zedong (1893-1976). Unfortunately his policies clashed with the political ideology of Mao, and so Deng was purged from the Communist Party twice during the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s. Deng favoured more reformist economic policies, leaning towards capitalism, which ran contrary to Mao’s ideas. While
2005 was the Year of the Rooster according to the Chinese lunar calendar, and this year marked the beginning of the third iteration of the ever popular Lunar series – second only in popularity to the widely recognised Pandas. The first Lunar series began in 1981; the second in 1993. Colourised Lunar coins had made their first appearance in the series back in 1998 as part of the Year of the Tiger set of issues, but this was not the
Zhou Enlai, whose likeness is expertly captured in a set of three commemorative coins issued in 1998, was the first Premier of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), holding office from October 1949 until his death in Beijing in 1976. He was born in 1898 in Huai’an, Jiangsu province into a family of officials. Throughout his early life he was involved in politics, his financial security allowing him to dedicate himself to revolutionary activities. Serving throughout Mao’s leadership and acting