50 Yuan Year of the Rat

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.