First issued in 1995 and now in its third round, the long-running Australian Lunar Coin Series celebrates the animals of the Chinese zodiac with a sequence of annual designs portraying the mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. This 2021 coin celebrates the Year of the Ox, whose rule over every second year in the 12-year lunar cycle is said to influence people born during 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 and 2021.

Gilded Design

The coin’s reverse portrays a charming image of an ox and its calf meticulously gilded in 24-carat gold. The design includes a cherry blossom tree, a symbol of love and beauty, the inscription OX 2021, the Chinese character for ‘ox’ and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

Classic Display Case

Accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, the coin’s classic display case features a clear lid and an illustrated shipper. When aligned with the 2020 Year of the Mouse shipper and future shippers from the series, the illustration forms a diorama depicting all 12 animals in the order they completed The Great Race, a traditional Chinese story about the creation of the lunar calendar.