200 New Dollars Inauguration

Issued to mark the second inauguration of Chen Shui-bian in May 2004, this coin appeared against a backdrop of acute political tension — Chen had won re-election by fewer than 30,000 votes following a disputed shooting incident the day before the poll. The result was challenged in court by the Kuomintang-led opposition, and street protests paralyzed Taipei for weeks. That a commemorative silver issue proceeded on schedule says something about the administration's determination to project normalcy.

Mintages for Taiwan's commemorative silver program in this period were tightly controlled, with most issues distributed through the Central Bank's direct sale channels rather than general circulation.