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50 Yuan Year of the Rat
| Issuer | People's Bank of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 155.5 g |
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| Obverse description | Central circular medallion containing a finely detailed engraving of a rat rendered in a traditional Chinese artistic style, depicted in profile with intricate line work defining its form. The vertical inscription 中华人民共和国 (People's Republic of China) appears in Chinese characters along the left border of the rectangular flan. A decorative border of stylized bamboo or reed motifs frames the right edge of the coin, while the year 2008 is inscribed in the lower right field. |
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| Reverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
China's Lunar New Year commemorative program is one of the longest-running modern bullion series, but the 2008 Rat issue carries particular weight: it was released the same year Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics, a moment of enormous domestic political investment. Mint output for prestige silver pieces surged that year as the government leaned heavily into international visibility.
The oval format — a departure from round planchets — was introduced by the Shanghai Mint to distinguish the lunar series and has since become one of its defining production signatures.