Lunar lore

According to Chinese tradition, the emperor ordered a great race between all the animals on Earth to determine who should occupy the 12 positions in the lunar calendar. Each animal represents a year in the 12-year cycle of the lunar calendar, influencing the attributes and fortunes of individuals born in that year.

Twelve zodiac animals

The coin’s reverse portrays coloured depictions of the twelve baby animals in the lunar calendar, including the mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each adorable animal appears against a background of stylised clouds, a lake and a temple. The imagery surrounds a bagua, a motif incorporating eight Taoist trigrams representing the yin and yang, said to be present in all things. It also includes a taijitu, representing the unity and interdependence of opposing forces.