China issues commemorative coin for Year of the Ox

Beijing, Jan 30 (IANS) China's central bank has issued a commemorative coin to celebrate the Chinese zodiac Year of the Ox, which will begin from February 12.The round, copper-alloy coin is 27 mm in diameter and has a face value of 10 yuan ($1.55), Xinhua news agency quoted the People's Bank of China as saying in a statement on Friday. The front side of the coin shows its face value and the year of issuance, while the reverse side features an ox raising its head. The central bank will issue a total of 150 million such coins.The Year of the Ox is the second zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle. It will last until January 31, 2022.The Chinese Zodiac is represented by 12 animals to record the years and reflect people's attributes. The animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
--IANS ksk/