Lunar Series
The Perth Mint - The Mint in the Land of the Antipodes
The Perth Mint was founded in 1899 in Perth, Australia. The town was originally built in the heat of the gold rush that broke out in Western Australia to speed up the minting of gold sovereigns by British sovereigns and for distribution to the British Empire. The Perth Mint was the last of the three Australian colonial branches after the now defunct Sydney Mint and Melbourne Mint. In 1970, the Mint was transferred to the State Government of Western Australia. Among the most popular coins are those with koala, kangaroo and kingfisher motifs. The Mint processes 400 tonnes of gold annually.
Lunar Series - coins inspired by legend
Lunar Series coins are coins that are inspired by the Chinese lunar year. The Chinese lunar calendar is most likely the oldest calendar in the world and has a history of 5,000 years. The calendar is derived from the movement of the moon (lunar), hence lunar. The whole cycle has twelve symbols that represent the different animals (rat, buffalo, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig). These symbols are combined with the five basic elements, the elements. The signs are intertwined in wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each year, which begins in January and February, is under the sign of a given animal.
Legend has it that the wise Buddha called a feast to prove that all beings are equal. On this occasion, he invited representatives of the animal kingdom. The first to arrive was a rat, then a buffalo, a tiger, a hare and finally a pig. After the feast, the Buddha decided to reward each of the animals and gave each of them rulership over the year, in the order in which they appeared at the feast.
