50 Yuan Spring Greeting

Issued as part of China's late-1990s push into the commemorative bullion market, this five-ounce piece belongs to the Lunar New Year series that the People's Bank began aggressively expanding for export to overseas Chinese communities and foreign collectors. The 1998 issue corresponds to the Year of the Tiger.

KM#1179 is frequently encountered with original packaging intact, which bears directly on surface preservation — the lacquered inserts of this period are known to cause toning migration on coins stored long-term without a protective capsule.