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5 Yuan Unicorn
| Issuer | People's Republic of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.5552 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A detailed bust portrait of a Western unicorn facing right, its single spiraling horn prominent, with a flowing mane and a garland of roses decorating the lower field. The bilingual legend 珍稀动物麒麟 and UNICORN appears along the upper portion of the field. The denomination 5元 is inscribed to the right of the portrait in Chinese numerals and characters. |
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| Additional information |
China's Unicorn series launched in 1994 as a direct competitor to established bullion programs from the West, targeting collectors rather than investors — which is why the platinum pieces were struck in fractional weights with comparatively low mintages. The 1996 issue was produced at a moment when Chinese precious metal coin programs were expanding aggressively into international markets, with state-owned China Gold Coin Corporation controlling distribution through a tight network of authorized dealers that kept secondary market premiums stubbornly high for years.
Platinum unicorn coins from this period are notoriously difficult to attribute accurately; several weight denominations share obverse dies, and catalog references diverge between KM and Y numbering on composition details for the 1.5552g fraction specifically.