China issues commemorative coins for Year of the Horse

Screenshot photo shows a 500-gram commemorative coin with a decorative horse head motif.

(ECNS) -- The People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Wednesday officially began issuing a set of commemorative coins to celebrate 2026, the Year of the Horse.

The collection, comprising six gold, four silver and one platinum coin, is designated as legal tender in China.

The most substantial coin is a 10-kilogram circular gold piece, measuring 180 millimeters in diameter with a face value of 100,000 yuan (about 14,113 U.S. dollars). Its issuance is limited to only 18 pieces.

The coin with the largest mintage in the set is the 15-gram circular silver coin. It has a diameter of 33 millimeters, a face value of 5 yuan and a maximum mintage of 250,000 pieces.

According to the central bank, these coins are distributed by China Gold Coin Group Co., Ltd. The central bank has been issuing precious metal zodiac-themed commemorative coins annually since 1981. This series has become the longest-running, most diverse, and one of the most popular collection series in China.

(By Zhang Dongfang)