China to issue 2nd batch of 'Chinese master artisan' gold and silver commemorative coins

Photo shows the front side of the 5-gram gold commemorative coin. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, is set to issue its second batch of 'Chinese master artisan' gold and silver commemorative coins on April 26, the bank announced via its website.

The set will consist of a 5-gram gold coin and a 15-gram silver coin, both of which will be legal currency in China. The front side of both the coins will feature China's national emblem, along with the country's official name and the year of issuance.

The reverse side of the gold coin, which will have a face value of 80 yuan ($12.3), will be inscribed with a picture of the ancient Dujiangyan irrigation system and Chinese characters depicting the project, as well as Chinese characters reading "The Chinese Master Artisan Li Bing".

Li Bing is the person who led the construction of the irrigation project more than 2,000 years ago. The ancient Dujiangyan irrigation system was added to the list of World Heritage Irrigation Structures in 2018.

The reverse of the silver coin, meanwhile, which will have a face value of 5 yuan, will depict trains, a theodolite, the Great Wall, and the century-old Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway designed by Zhan Tianyou, known as the "father of China's railroad". The reverse side will also feature Chinese characters reading "The Chinese Master Artisan Zhan Tianyou".

The maximum circulation of the gold and silver commemorative coins is 10,000 and 30,000 pieces, respectively.