Chinese Coins Commemorate 2010 Shanghai World Expo

Some 70 million visitors are expected to visit Shanghai in 2010 for the World Expo where China hopes to "bring the world at home, and for the world to feel at home." To celebrate the occasion, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is issuing silver and gold proof World Expo Shanghai 2010 commemorative coins.

Three coins have been struck in the first series release: a 1/3 oz, 23 mm, .999 fine gold piece denominated in 150-yuan, and two 1 oz, 40 mm, .999 silver coins with a face value of 10-yuan.

Each bears the same obverse World Expo logo, which depicts the image of three people — you, me, him/her — holding hands to symbolize the big family of mankind. (The logo was is inspired by the shape of the Chinese character "世", meaning the world.) Behind the logo is a centered earth with surrounding inscriptions of the "People’s Republic of China" in Chinese and the year "2009".

The reverse of the gold coin depicts the World Expo mascot named Haibao, who is centered atop tidal waters and in front of Shanghai city. Above Haibao is the inscription "World Expo 2010 Shanghai" in Chinese. Below is the coin’s denomination.

The reverse of the silver coins bear the same inscriptions, but differing designs. One portrays a geometric pattern of a dandelion while the other features the ornamental pattern of dynamic "urban cells."

The coins are distributed by China Gold Coin Incorporation and jointly minted by the Shenzhen Guobao Mint, the Shanghai Mint and the Shenyang Mint.

The gold piece is limited to a mintage of 50,000 while each silver coin has a maximum mintage of 70,000.