1/10 oz Australian Lunar Year of the Mouse 2008 Gold Coin

History

Austrālijas Lunāra Žurkas gada monēta

Ķīniešu mēness kalendāru mūsdienās izmanto daudzi taoistu kosmologi. Tiek uzskatīts, ka atkarībā no tā, kādā zodiaka gadā cilvēks ir dzimis, starp cilvēka personību un attiecīgo ķīniešu zodiaka dzīvnieku pastāv īpaša saikne. Zodiaka dzīvniekiem ir simboliska nozīme, kurā katrs dzīvnieks pārstāv konkrētu rakstura iezīmju kopumu, ko iespējams novērot ikkatrā cilvēkā. Ķīniešu zodiakā ir divpadsmit dzīvnieki, un katrs no tiem tiek godināts ik pa divpadsmit gadiem. 2008. gadā tika atzīmēts Žurkas gads.

Tie cilvēki, kas dzimuši žurkas gadā, tiek uzskatīti par veiksmīgiem bagātību ieguvējiem un uzglabātājiem. Šī veiksme izriet no viņu zinātkārajiem prātiem, kas vienmēr meklē iespēju iegūt jaunas zināšanas, un pateicoties viņu izveicībai un atjautībai, viņi spēj izmantot visas iespējas. Cilvēkiem, kas dzimuši žurkas gadā, piemīt spēcīga intuīcija, perfekcionisms un lieliska gaume. Viņi ir ļoti ambiciozi, tāpēc, cenšoties sasniegt savus mērķus, viņi izmantos visu savu atjautību, šarmu, pārliecināšanas spējas un harizmu, lai tas izdotos. Tas piesaista apkārtējos, īpaši pretējo dzimumu, un, lai arī žurkas gadā dzimušajiem patīk plašs sociālais loks, viņiem biežāk ir vairāk paziņu nekā tuvu draugu. Ja kādam izdodas kļūt par viņu draugu, tie tiks loloti kā ģimenes locekļi. Žurkas gadā dzimušie ir uzticīgi saviem mīļajiem, kas viņus padara par ļoti labiem vecākiem.

Tādēļ Austrālijas Lunāra Žurkas gada monēta ir ideāla dāvana tam, kuru Jūs mīlat un cienāt, jo, dāvinot Lunāra zelta monētu, Jūs apliecināt to, cik ļoti tuvs Jums ir šis cilvēks, svinot šī cilvēka dzimšanas gadu un tikumus ar šo tīrā zeltā veidoto īpaši vērtīgo mākslas darbu.

Austrālijas Lunāra Žurkas gada monētas — tik retas, cik zelts

Pērtas Monētu kaltuve pirmo reizi izdeva Austrālijas Lunāra Žurkas gada zelta monētas 1996. gadā un atkārtoti 2008. gadā. 1996. gadā zelta monētas tika piedāvātas šādos svaros: 1 unce, 1/4 unce, 1/10 unce un 1/20 unce; savukārt 2008. gadā tika piedāvāti vēl papildus jauni izmēri: 10 kg, 1 kg, 10 unces, 2 unces un 1/2 unces. Vienas unces zelta monētas 1996. gadā tika izkaltas 16 593 eksemplāros, bet 2008. gadā tika pilnībā izpārdotas, sasniedzot to maksimālo tirāžu 30 000 eksemplāru apmērā. Saskaitot zelta monētas, kas izkaltas visos Žurkas gados, to kopējais skaits ir ļoti zems salīdzinājumā ar citām labi zināmām investīciju dārgmetāla monētām. Piemēram, vienas unces zelta monēta Austrālijas Ķengurs tādu pašu tirāžu kā Žurkas gada zelta sērijas monētām sasniedz 6.5 mēnešos. Tāpēc Austrālijas Lunāra Žurkas gada zelta monētas ir īpaši piemērotas kolekcionāriem, jo tās tiešām ir tik pat reti sastopamas, cik pats zelts.

Australian Lunar gold coins are based on the Chinese Lunar Zodiac

It is believed that the Chinese lunar calendar was created almost five millennia ago by primeval ruling dynasties. Since that time, the calendar has been continuously improved by astronomers of different royal Chinese courts, culminating in a final version that was calculated according to the earth’s movement around the sun, but fitted into a lunar calendar, thus making it officially a lunisolar calendar. The decision to base the calendar on two celestial bodies stems from the fact that the moon’s motion around the earth is not in synchronisation with the earth’s motion around the sun, creating a time disparity which created a problem for farmers who, of course, needed an accurate calendar that would tell them the best time for planting and harvesting in accordance with the sun’s movement. Originally, the calendar was based on the cycles of the moon, as it was much easier for the ancient astronomers to make the necessary calculation. But, as time passed, they noticed the disparity between the lunar year which consisted of twelve months, each month consisting of 29.5 days which totalled 354 days in a year, and the solar year, which numbered a total of 365.24 days, thus making the lunar year 11 days shorter than the earth’s yearly orbit around the sun. To better synchronise the lunar calendar with the sun, a leap month was added every two or three years similar to that of the modern solar calendar where nearly every 4 years on February 29 an extra leap day is added to align the earth’s revolution around the sun.

In contrast to most other calendars, the Chinese lunar calendar does not count years in an infinite sequence, but is instead composed of  a 12 year period that is repeated five times in order to get to a cycle that is equal to 60 years. Each year of the period consists of two components, a heavenly stem and a terrestrial branch. The heavenly stem consists of ten symbols, which were the names of the ten days in the week used by the ancient Chinese, while the terrestrial branch consists of 12 animals from the Chinese zodiac cycle. For the creation of one year, each stem is combined with every second terrestrial branch. Thus, when all possible combinations between the heavenly stems and terrestrial branches have been made, this being equal to 60, the final cycle is created and subsequently it starts over once again. This method of cyclical dating is believed to be among the longest continuous sequences of time measurement in history. China today uses the Gregorian calendar, a solar calendar, for all civil purposes, but the lunar calendar is still the main calendar used by various communities in China and East Asia to determine celebrity dates such as jubilees, weddings, the Chinese New Year and other festivities. 

The first Australian Lunar gold coin series produced by The Perth Mint 1996-2007 became popular beyond expectation among investors and collectors. Therefore, towards the end of the first series the demand for second 12-year Lunar coin series became big.

Struck from 99.99% pure gold, bullion coins from the Australian Lunar Series II represent a trusted and convenient means of investing in precious metals. Backed by an Australian Government guarantee of weight and purity, each legal tender coin also provides an extremely cost-effective way to acquire precious metal.

Contributing even further to the appeal of Series II, the majority of these coins are struck with a larger diameter than normal, adding to their prestigious appearance.

Mintage

The Perth Mint will produce no more than 30,000 1oz gold coins. Production will cease when the mintage is fully sold or at the end of the series, whichever comes first. No mintage limit applies to 1 Kilo, 10oz, 2oz, 1/2oz, 1/4oz, 1/10oz and 1/20oz gold coins. Production will take place only one year, after which The Perth Mint will declare each coin’s official mintage. A maximum of 100 10 Kilo gold coins will be produced. However, production will take place only one year, after which the coin’s actual mintage will be declared.

The Perth Mint is a world distinguished mint and precious metals refiner that is located in the City of Perth, in Western Australia. The Perth Mint was founded in 1896 by Britain’s Royal Mint in response to the newly discovered gold deposits in Western Australia. Perth Mint’s task was to refine gold ore from the mines and to strike sovereign gold coins from the refined bullion. Between 1899 and 1931 the Pert Mint produced  a considerable amount of gold sovereigns which were disturbed in Australia  and throughout the British Empire to be used as circulating currency. British control over Perth Mint was relinquished in 1971 to the Government of Western Australia which then assumed ownership of  the  mint.  Today,  the  Perth  Mint  is  hailed  for  the exceptional  quality  of  its  world  class investment bullion coins like the Kookaburra and Koala silver coins, and the Lunar Series. The Perth Mint has been a member of the London Gold Market (predecessor of the LBMA) since 1934. The swan design, which is the Mint’s official assay stamp registered with the LBMA, is recognised internationally and was inspired by the Mint’s location in Perth, where the main river, the Swan, runs through the city.