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| Issuer | People's Republic of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 2000 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 31.11 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field depicts a three-quarter portrait of Cao Xueqin, the celebrated author of 'Dream of the Red Chamber' (紅樓夢), seated at a writing desk and holding a brush, rendered in fine relief. A decorative rockery and foliage appear to his left. The inscription in Chinese characters surrounding the design reads '中国古典文学名著《红楼梦》作者曹雪芹' along the upper arc, identifying the subject. The national title '中华人民共和国' is inscribed along the lower portion of the octagonal field, with the year '2000' beneath it. |
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| Obverse lettering | 中国古典文学名著《红楼梦》作者曹雪芹 中华人民共和国 2000 |
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| Additional information |
Issued as part of a multi-year commemorative series celebrating classical Chinese literature, this piece corresponds to the first release in the Dream of Red Mansions program, which the People's Bank of China launched in 2000 and extended across several subsequent issues. The novel itself — Cao Xueqin's 18th-century masterwork, left unfinished at his death around 1763 — had been the subject of intense scholarly and political rehabilitation in the decades following the Cultural Revolution, during which serious study of it had been suppressed.
Mintage for individual issues in this series was capped at 60,000 pieces.