10 Yuan Year of the Monkey

China's lunar silver series has been issued annually since 1981, but the 2004 Monkey holds particular status among collectors because it inaugurated a new generation of the 12-year cycle — the first Monkey issue since 1992. The People's Bank strictly controlled mintage allocations throughout this period, and the 2004 issue was no exception, with distribution channeled almost entirely through authorized dealers and foreign numismatic markets rather than domestic circulation.