10 Yuan 40th Anniversary of Reform - Reform in Shenzhen

China's 1978 reform program began as a rural experiment before Shenzhen became its defining symbol — the city was designated a Special Economic Zone in 1980, effectively operating under different economic rules than the rest of the country. This coin is one of several in a series commemorating the fortieth anniversary of that decision, with individual issues assigned to specific cities or reform milestones rather than treating the period as a single event.

Mintage for the series was tightly controlled by the People's Bank of China, consistent with its modern silver commemorative program.