First Lunar Series (1998-2009)
The Royal Canadian Mint began production of a Lunar animals series of 12 coins in 1998 and released a new coin annually until 2009 which reflected the changing lunar calendar. The 12 coins produced are: Tiger (1998), Rabbit (1999), Dragon (2000), Snake (2001), Horse (2002), Sheep (2003), Monkey (2004), Rooster (2005), Dog (2006), Pig (2007), Rat (2008), and Ox (2009). Each animal appears in a circular arrangement around the rim of each coin, with a different animal highlighted each year in a central cameo. Each coin was produced in sterling silver with a face value of $15 and varying mintages.
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Tiger: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Rabbit: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Dragon: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Snake: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Sheep: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006.
|
Click image to enlarge
|
Years of the Ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009.
|
Summary of First Lunar Series
| Year | Theme | Mintage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Year of the Tiger | 68,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 1999 | Year of the Rabbit | 72,453 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2000 | Year of the Dragon | 88,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2001 | Year of the Snake | 68,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2002 | Year of the Horse | 68,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2003 | Year of the Sheep | 68,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2004 | Year of the Monkey | 68,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2005 | Year of the Rooster | 48,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2006 | Year of the Dog | 48,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2007 | Year of the Pig | 48,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2008 | Year of the Rat | 48,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
| 2009 | Year of the Ox | 48,888 | Sterling Silver with Central Gold Plated Cameo |
