Introducing the 2015 Perth Mint Lunar Series Coins

The ShengXiao, is known in English as the Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese zodiac is a system that relates each year to an animal according to a repeated 12-year cycle. It is based on the ancient 12-year Chinese Lunar Calendar, which dates back beyond 2,600 BC. The Shengxiao includes animals in the following order :

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Chicken, Dog, Pig

Each animal is associated with certain characteristics and in 2015, we will usher in the year of the Goat.

2015: Year of the Goat

The goat is the eighth of all the animals in the Chinese zodiac. People who are born in the years 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003 and 2015 are considered born in the Year of the Goat.

People born in the year of the goat are said to be mild mannered, pessimistic, shy, and sympathetic. Personality traits, such as creativity, dependability, intelligence, and calmness make them great companions and friends.

In 2015, the Perth Mint will continue minting the Lunar Series in both gold and silver. For gold, the sizes for the coins will range in weight from 1/20 oz all the way up to a massive 1 kg (32.153 oz). For silver, we will be seeing the Goat from ½ oz all the way to an impressive and incredible 10 kg coin.

The 1 oz gold Lunar Goat will be capped globally at an extremely low mintage of 30,000. Previous gold lunar 1 oz coins have all been sold out. Compare this low mintage to the Canadian gold Maple Leaf, where more than 1 million pieces of each years’ edition is usually minted. The gold Lunar Goat depicts an adult male goat standing on top of a mountain, looking into the distance. The Chinese character for “Goat" and the inscription of “Year of the Goat" also appears on the coin. The obverse features the Ian Rank – Broadley profile of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the purity of the coin and the denomination.

The 1 oz silver Lunar Goat will be capped globally at an extremely low mintage of just 300,000 and once again, all previous editions of the 1 oz silver coins have had their mintage maxed out.  Previous editions of the coins are also trading at a much higher value and premium than they were originally sold for.  The 8^th coin of the popular Lunar Series features a family of goats grazing. The Chinese character for “Goat" and the inscription of “Year of the Goat" also appears on the coin. The obverse features the Ian Rank – Broadley profile of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the purity of the coin and the denomination.

About the Perth Mint Lunar Series

The Perth Mint decided to mint the Lunar Series starting from 1996, where the gold Lunar Series was first started with the Rat and ended in 2007 with the Year of the Pig. In 1999, the mint saw the popularity of the gold Lunar Series and decided to also start minting a silver Lunar series, which ran from 1999 to 2010.

Currently, both the gold and silver Lunar coins are in their second series and their popularity is ever increasing. With an extremely limited mintage, a changing design every year, the Perth Mint Lunar Series is a must have addition for collectors looking to add variety to their collection. It also makes a perfect gift to babies who are born in 2015 or for those who are born in previous goat years.

BullionStar will be carrying the full range of the Lunar Series at very competitive prices. However, due to the high demand for the Lunar Series, the quantity available will be limited. Therefore, do ensure that you place your orders for the Lunar Series coins as soon as you can to avoid disappointment!

Check out our range of silver coins for the Year of the Goat here