50 Yuan Year of the Dog, Colored

China's lunar gold series has been running since 1981, but the introduction of color application to the smaller-denomination pieces is a relatively recent development driven largely by collector demand in Southeast Asian gift markets. The 2018 Dog issue sits in a crowded field — the same lunar cycle produced gold pieces in at least five different weights, from 1 gram to 10 kilograms.

Color on official PBC gold coinage is applied after striking, a detail that has drawn scrutiny from purists who question long-term adhesion under temperature cycling.