$1 2016 Year of the Monkey Silver Proof

To celebrate the Year of the Monkey dated 2016 the Royal Australian Mint is continuing the Lunar Series which started in 2007 with the Pig struck in al/bronze silver and gold then in 2012 with a 14 sided 50 cent coin. This year the mint has produced two magnificent Monkey designs in 7 different formats. 

This coin is the tenth in a lunar coin series struck by the Royal Australian Mint, Canberra. Each coin is housed encapsulated in a plush red leatherette, hinged-lid presentation case, protected by a Lunar series shipper and accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity. The issue limit of 10,000 proofs was not reached with the mintage declared at 2,500 coins.

The Chinese Zodiac, Sheng Xiao, has its basis in a twelve-year cycle. Each year is represented by one of twelve animals with unique personality traits, with these characteristics being passed on to people born in that year. In 2016, the Lunar Year of the Monkey saw the birth of many people who are said to be naturally quick-witted and are able to solve complex problems with ease.

The reverse design combines the symmetrical borders of award-winning coin designer Vladimir Gottwald with an illustration of a snub-nosed monkey designed by Stevan Stojanovic. Those born in the Year of the Monkey are said to hold many of the characteristics of the snub-nosed monkey, which can be found tucked high in the Qin Ling Mountains of central China. They have endured the pitiless landscape by making great adaptations to survive and have displayed the ability to solve complex problems with ease allowing their breed to succeed.