XN000022-1978-11-26 — Page 2

1

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1978

APPLICATIONS FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR GOLD COIN INVITED

******

THE GOVERNMENT WILL ISSUE A LIMITED QUANTITY OF $1,000 GOLD COINS TO MARK THE COMING LUNAR NEW YEAR, THE YEAR OF THE GOAT.

APPLICATION FORMS FOR THE GOLD COIN WILL BE AVAILABLE TOMORROW (MONDAY) FROM ALL OFFICES OF THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHA I BANKING CORPORATION AND THE MERCANTILE BANK. CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS DECEMBER 16.

ONLY 10,000 PROOF AND 20,000 UNCIRCULATED COINS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MEET WORLD-WIDE DEMAND. EACH COIN HAS A FACE VALUE OF $1,000. THE PROOF COIN WHICH HAS A FROSTED RELIEF ON A MIRROR FINISH BACKGROUND WILL BE SOLD AT $1,500, AND THE BRILLIANT UNCIRCULATED COIN AT $1,000.

THE COIN IS MADE OF 22 CARAT GOLD, WITH A STANDARD WEIGHT OF 15.976 GRAMMES AND A DIAMETER OF 28.4 MM (1.118 INCHES).

THE OBVERSE SIDE BEARS A PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN, WHILE THE REVERSE DEPICTS A RAM WHICH IS AN ARTIST'S INTERPRETATION OF A BRONZE RAM-SHAPED OIL LAMP FROM THE WESTERN HAN DYNASTY (206 B.C. A.D. 24), EXCAVATED IN MAN CHENG, HOPEI, IN 1968.

-

EACH COIN WILL BE PACKAGED IN A PLASTIC SCREW-TOP CAPSULE AND SUPPLIED WITH A PRESENTATION CASE AND A DESCRIPTIVE BOOKLET.

THE YEAR OF THE GOAT COIN IS THE FOURTH IN A SERIES THAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO ISSUE TO MARK THE 12 LUNAR YEARS WHICH FALL IN THE WESTERN CALENDAR YEARS 1976 TO 1987.

THE COMING YEAR OF THE GOAT WILL COMMENCE ON JANUARY 28, 1979, AND END ON FEBRUARY 15, 1980, THE GOAT IS, THEREFORE, THE BIRTH ANIMAL FOR ANY CHILD BORN WITHIN THIS PERIOD.

THE GOAT ALSO RULED OVER THE FOLLOWING PERIODS

J

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 13, 1907 TO FEBRUARY 1, 1908- FEBRUARY 1, 1919 TO FEBRUARY 19, 1920- FEBRUARY 17, 1931 TO FEBRUARY 5, 1932- 5. 1943 TO JANUARY 24, 1944- JANUARY 24, 1955 TO FEBRUARY 11, 1956- FEBRUARY 9, 1967 TO JANUARY 29, 1968.

/2.