China’s latest issue of commemorative coins is a historic event for modern Chinese coinage.

The 2015 Auspicious Culture series includes the first-ever heart-shaped coin from China.

The eight-coin series includes four silver 10-yuan coins and four gold 100-yuan coins, with four sets of one gold coin and one silver coin sharing the same design themes.

For instance, the silver and gold Heart coins each show a slightly different pond scene (representation of the water differs, for example) with Mandarin ducks and twin lotus flowers, against decorative designs of lotus leaves, the idiom “bing di tong xin” in Chinese (which translates to “twin lotus flowers on one stalk and devoted couple with one heart”), and the face value. The eyes of the ducks are accented with gemstones.

The three other themes are Offspring, Koi and Longevity.

The Offspring coins feature pumpkins, vines and butterflies, the idiom “gua die mian mian” in Chinese, which translates to “plentiful offsprings like vigorous plants,” and the face value.

The butterflies on the silver coin are accented with holograms.

The Longevity coins show peaches and bats, symbols of good fortune, against decorative designs of auspicious flowers, the idiom “wu fu gong shou” in Chinese, which translates to “five blessings surround longevity,” and the face value.

The peaches are gold-plated on the silver coin. 

The Koi theme shows the koi (carp) and lotus flowers, with the idiom “nian nian you yu” in Chinese, translating to “may every year end with plentiful surplus,” and the face value.

The carp on the silver coin are gold-plated. 

The common obverse for each coin shows the Great Hall of the People, with stars from the People’s Republic of China’s flag, and other elements.  

The round silver 10-yuan coins weigh 31.1 grams, measure 40 millimeters in diameter and have a mintage limit of 60,000 pieces each.

The round gold coins weigh 7.776 grams, measure 22 millimeters in diameter and have mintage limits of 30,000 pieces each.

The Heart silver coin weighs 31.1 grams and has a mintage limit of 60,000 pieces. The Heart gold coin weighs 7.776 grams and has a mintage limit of 30,000 pieces.

PandaAmerica is a United States distributor for China Gold Coin Corp., but pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

For more information, visit the PandaAmerica website.

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