 Centuries ago The Chinese invented a calendar based on the lunar, rather than the solar, calendar. In 1998, Canada inaugurated a remarkable series of coins, designed by Harvey Chan, featuring the animal symbols of Chinese strology based on the lunar calendar.
These symbol roughly approximate the signs of the zodiac in western culture, however denote years instead of months. In 2009 the Royal Canadian Mint completes this annual series with a coin commemorating the Year of the Ox.
All 12 of the Lunar animals appear in a circular arrangement around the rim of each coin, with a different animal highlighted each year in a central cameo.
The coin is 40 mm in diameter, contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper and weighs 34 gm. The central central cameo is gold plated.
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