Canada Launches Snake Coin to Mark Chinese Lunar YearThe Royal Canadian Mint launched a 15-dollar (about 10 U.S. dollars) coin January 6 to mark the Chinese lunar Year of the Snake.The Mint will produce 68,888 of the Year of the Snake coins, the fourth in a series to match the Chinese lunar calendar, which follows a 12-year cycle with each year represented by an animal. The 12 calendar animals are respectively the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The center of the sterling silver coin features an octagonal 24-karat gold covered cameo depicting the Snake, while all the 12 animals are inscribed around the circumference of the reverse, according to Canada's state corporation. Special Stamps to Mark China's Lunar YearThe Hong Kong Postmaster General Luk Ping-chuen announced Thursday, December 28, that a set of special stamps will be issued to commemorate China's Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, which falls on January 24, 2001. |
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