To commemorate the success of the first mission to orbit and land on Mars, China has released a new set of gold and silver coins.
The People’s Bank of China announced that they will issue a Tianwen-1 (Tiānwèn-1) limited edition coin on Monday (August 30), three months after China’s first Mars rover, Zhurong (Zhùrónɡ), explored the Red Planet. It is reported that the three coins will depict different aspects of this historic mission.
The first gold coin among the three commemorative coins from the People’s Bank of China weighs 150g, has a diameter of 60mm, and features images of some of the equipment used in the mission. It also includes a depiction of the Martian surface captured during the landing process, along with an image of the rover.
The trio of Tianwen-1 coins.
The smaller gold coin weighs 8g and has a diameter of 22mm, featuring images of the landing craft and the Zhurong rover on the Martian surface. Finally, the silver coin weighs 30g and has a diameter of 40mm, depicting the Tianwen-1 orbiter circling Mars.
All three coins are inscribed with the phrase “The success of China’s first Mars exploration mission – Tianwen-1”. Additionally, the reverse side of these coins shares a common design featuring the emblem of China’s planetary exploration program, the country’s name, and the year of issue.
According to available information, the larger gold coin has a face value of approximately 2000 Renminbi (around 310 USD) and is limited to only 1000 pieces. Meanwhile, the smaller gold coin has a face value of about 15.45 USD and is limited to 30,000 pieces. Lastly, the silver coin has a limited quantity of 60,000 pieces and is valued at 1.55 USD.
It is known that the commemorative gold and silver coins are minted by Shenzhen Guobao Mint Co., Ltd. and will be distributed by the China Gold Coin Incorporation. Detailed information, including the prices of the coins, has yet to be announced.
